Military spending per armed forces personnel in Thailand

Thailand: Military spending per armed forces personnel was 15,664 constant 2024 US$ in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
15,664 constant 2024 US$
Change on year
up 3.6%
World rank
106th
of 160 countries
All-time high
18,471 constant 2024 US$
in 1994
All-time low
7,224 constant 2024 US$
in 2005
Years of data
33
1985–2020

Military spending per armed forces personnel in Thailand, 1985–2020

05.0k10.0k15.0k20.0k1985200220201985: 16.0k constant 2024 US$1989: 13.1k constant 2024 US$1990: 14.1k constant 2024 US$1991: 15.6k constant 2024 US$1992: 17.0k constant 2024 US$1993: 16.8k constant 2024 US$1994: 18.5k constant 2024 US$1995: 12.7k constant 2024 US$1996: 13.4k constant 2024 US$1997: 15.2k constant 2024 US$1998: 10.7k constant 2024 US$1999: 9.5k constant 2024 US$2000: 8.2k constant 2024 US$2001: 8.3k constant 2024 US$2002: 8.1k constant 2024 US$2003: 7.9k constant 2024 US$2004: 7.9k constant 2024 US$2005: 7.2k constant 2024 US$2006: 7.4k constant 2024 US$2007: 8.3k constant 2024 US$2008: 10.4k constant 2024 US$2009: 12.8k constant 2024 US$2010: 13.8k constant 2024 US$2011: 11.2k constant 2024 US$2012: 12.2k constant 2024 US$2013: 12.1k constant 2024 US$2014: 12.6k constant 2024 US$2015: 13.0k constant 2024 US$2016: 13.7k constant 2024 US$2017: 14.4k constant 2024 US$2018: 14.8k constant 2024 US$2019: 15.1k constant 2024 US$2020: 15.7k constant 2024 US$

Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026); The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in constant 2024 US$.

Analysis

In 2020, military spending per armed forces personnel in Thailand stood at 15,664 constant 2024 US$.

The figure is up 3.6% on the previous year and up 13.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military spending per armed forces personnel in Thailand peaked at 18,471 constant 2024 US$ in 1994 and was at its lowest, 7,224 constant 2024 US$, in 2005.

That places Thailand 106th out of 160 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 14,581 constant 2024 US$ 13,141 constant 2024 US$ 16,022 constant 2024 US$ 2
1990s 14,341 constant 2024 US$ 9,500 constant 2024 US$ 18,471 constant 2024 US$ 10
2000s 8,661 constant 2024 US$ 7,224 constant 2024 US$ 12,837 constant 2024 US$ 10
2010s 13,276 constant 2024 US$ 11,191 constant 2024 US$ 15,116 constant 2024 US$ 10
2020s 15,664 constant 2024 US$ 15,664 constant 2024 US$ 15,664 constant 2024 US$ 1

Countries ranked near Thailand

  1. 103 Kyrgyzstan 16,101 constant 2024 US$ compare
  2. 104 Zambia 15,998 constant 2024 US$ compare
  3. 105 Georgia 15,976 constant 2024 US$ compare
  4. 107 Belize 15,394 constant 2024 US$ compare
  5. 108 Ghana 14,845 constant 2024 US$ compare
  6. 109 Vietnam 14,806 constant 2024 US$ compare

See the full ranking of 160 places →

More reference data data for Thailand

All data for Thailand →

Frequently asked questions

What is military spending per armed forces personnel in Thailand?
Military spending per armed forces personnel in Thailand was 15,664 constant 2024 US$ in 2020, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026); The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest military spending per armed forces personnel recorded in Thailand?
The highest recorded value was 18,471 constant 2024 US$ in 1994.
What is the lowest military spending per armed forces personnel recorded in Thailand?
The lowest recorded value was 7,224 constant 2024 US$ in 2005.
How does Thailand rank for military spending per armed forces personnel?
Thailand ranks 106th out of 160 countries with data for 2020.
Is military spending per armed forces personnel rising or falling in Thailand?
Over the last ten years it is up 13.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Thailand data come from?
The figures come from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026); The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending per armed forces personnel. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Military spending per armed forces personnel
Unit
constant 2024 US$
Source
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026); The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
160 places, 4,610 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed

Total military expenditure divided by armed forces personnel. This data is expressed in US dollars. It is adjusted for inflation but does not account for differences in the cost of living between countries.