Mexico vs Thailand: Armed forces personnel
Mexico
341,000
in 2020
Thailand
455,000
in 2020
Mexico rank
19th
Thailand rank
16th
Armed forces personnel over time
- Mexico
- Thailand
How they compare
Thailand currently reports 455,000 against 341,000 in Mexico, a difference of 114,000.
That makes Thailand's figure about 1.3 times Mexico's.
Across all 33 years both countries report, Thailand has been ahead every year.
Mexico ranks 19th and Thailand ranks 16th of 173 countries.
Thailand has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Mexico | Thailand | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 141,550 | 259,150 | 117,600 | Thailand |
| 1990s | 182,777 | 333,900 | 151,123 | Thailand |
| 2000s | 242,895 | 419,336 | 176,441 | Thailand |
| 2010s | 333,685 | 452,871 | 119,186 | Thailand |
| 2020s | 341,000 | 455,000 | 114,000 | Thailand |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, Mexico or Thailand?
- Thailand, at 455,000 against 341,000 in Mexico as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Mexico and Thailand?
- 114,000, with Thailand ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Mexico and Thailand?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do Mexico and Thailand rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- Mexico ranks 19th and Thailand ranks 16th of 173 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Armed forces personnel. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if their training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.