Myanmar vs Thailand: Military personnel

Myanmar
356,000 people
in 2022
Thailand
361,000 people
in 2022
Myanmar rank
16th
Thailand rank
15th

Military personnel over time

  • Myanmar
  • Thailand
0100.0k200.0k300.0k400.0k500.0k188719542022

How they compare

Thailand currently reports 361,000 people against 356,000 people in Myanmar, a difference of 5,000 people.

The two have swapped places 4 times across 75 shared years of data; in 1948 it was Thailand ahead.

Myanmar ranks 16th and Thailand ranks 15th of 194 countries.

Across the 9 decades both report, Myanmar averaged higher in 5 and Thailand in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade Myanmar Thailand Difference Ahead
1940s 3,500 people 44,000 people 40,500 people Thailand
1950s 28,200 people 61,600 people 33,400 people Thailand
1960s 121,000 people 120,600 people 400 people Myanmar
1970s 199,100 people 221,400 people 22,300 people Thailand
1980s 190,300 people 248,800 people 58,500 people Thailand
1990s 307,900 people 287,800 people 20,100 people Myanmar
2000s 406,900 people 307,100 people 99,800 people Myanmar
2010s 406,000 people 344,500 people 61,500 people Myanmar
2020s 372,667 people 361,000 people 11,667 people Myanmar

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher military personnel, Myanmar or Thailand?
Thailand, at 361,000 people against 356,000 people in Myanmar as of 2022.
What is the difference in military personnel between Myanmar and Thailand?
5,000 people, with Thailand ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Myanmar and Thailand?
75 years are reported by both, from 1948 to 2022.
How do Myanmar and Thailand rank globally for military personnel?
Myanmar ranks 16th and Thailand ranks 15th of 194 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Military personnel. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator
Military personnel
Unit
people
Source
Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
194 places, 15,765 data points, 1816–2022
Last refreshed

Troops under the command of the national government, intended for use against foreign adversaries, and held ready for combat as of January 1 of the given year.