Thailand

Armed forces personnel in Thailand

Armed forces personnel in Thailand: 235,300 people in 1985 and 455,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates.

Latest, 2020
455,000 people
Since 1985
+219,700 people
Rank, 2020
16 of 170
counting from the highest
World, 2020
27.4 million people
Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

Armed forces personnel in ThailandArmed forces personnel in Thailand: 235,300 people in 1985 and 455,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates. The highest was 474,600 people in 2011, the lowest 235,300 people in 1985.
Estimates, IISSEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

  • The highest was 474,600 people in 2011, the lowest 235,300 people in 1985.
  • Older estimates from Correlates of War reach back to 1887: 15,000 people.

Every year

people · IISS

YearThailandWorld
2020455,00027.4 million
2019455,00027.7 million
2018454,90027.7 million
2017455,00027.4 million
2016454,60027.5 million
2015454,60027.4 million
2014453,60027.3 million
2013453,60027.2 million
2012453,60028.2 million
2011474,60028 million
2010419,60028.1 million
2009419,60027.9 million
2008421,00027.5 million
2007420,00027.3 million
2006420,00027 million
2005421,00028.5 million
2004419,00027.1 million
2003427,20028.2 million
2002419,00028.3 million
2001410,00028.2 million
2000416,60029.4 million
1999377,00029.6 million
1998377,00029.9 million
1997337,00029.9 million
1996393,50030.2 million
1995420,50030.2 million
1994290,00023.2 million
1993295,00023.7 million
1992283,00024.5 million
1991283,00022.7 million
1990283,00023.9 million
1989283,00024.3 million
1985235,30022.2 million
1984235,000–
1983233,000–
1982250,000–
1981250,000–
1980234,000–
1979250,000–
1978250,000–
1977230,000–
1976228,000–
1975227,000–
1974221,000–
1973233,000–
1972205,000–
1971195,000–
1970175,000–
1969175,000–
1968167,000–
1967151,000–
1966151,000–
1965132,000–
196485,000–
196385,000–
196283,000–
196180,000–
196097,000–
195999,000–
1958100,000–
1957100,000–
195650,000–
195545,000–
195445,000–
195345,000–
195244,000–
195144,000–
195044,000–
194944,000–
194844,000–
194744,000–
194644,000–
193931,000–
193838,000–
193735,000–
193632,000–
193527,000–
193427,000–
193327,000–
193230,000–
193130,000–
193028,000–
192928,000–
192827,000–
192727,000–
192626,000–
192525,000–
192426,000–
192326,000–
192224,000–
192125,000–
192025,000–
191925,000–
191832,000–
191732,000–
191632,000–
191532,000–
191432,000–
191331,000–
191231,000–
191131,000–
191031,000–
190931,000–
190831,000–
190726,000–
190616,000–
190518,000–
190418,000–
190318,000–
190210,000–
19014,000–
190010,000–
18996,000–
18986,000–
18976,000–
18966,000–
18956,000–
18946,000–
18935,000–
189215,000–
189115,000–
189015,000–
188915,000–
188815,000–
188715,000–
  • 12.3Estimates, Correlates of War

Good to know

  • Active-duty military personnel, with paramilitary forces where they are trained and equipped like soldiers, by the IISS Military Balance.
  • Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
  • Before 1985: Correlates of War Project, National Material Capabilities v7.0; Singer, Bremer and Stuckey (1972), “Capability Distribution, Uncertainty, and Major Power War, 1820–1965”, in Bruce Russett (ed.), Peace, War, and Numbers, Sage, 19–48.
  • Ranks count the 170 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
  • The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

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