Military spending as a share of GDP in Thailand
Thailand: Military spending as a share of GDP was 1.4% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Latest (2019)
1.4%
Change on year
up 3.5%
World rank
84th
of 172 countries
All-time high
3.0%
in 1983
All-time low
0.5%
in 1899
Years of data
133
1887–2019
Military spending as a share of GDP in Thailand, 1887–2019
Source: Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military spending as a share of gdp in Thailand is 1.4%, measured in 2019.
The figure is up 3.5% on the previous year and up 20.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending as a share of gdp in Thailand peaked at 3.0% in 1983 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 1899.
Thailand ranks 84th of 172 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 133 years of available data.
Military spending as a share of GDP in Thailand, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1887 | 0.5% | — |
| 1888 | 0.5% | -0.7% |
| 1889 | 0.5% | +2.5% |
| 1890 | 0.6% | +7.3% |
| 1891 | 0.5% | -12.8% |
| 1892 | 0.5% | +2.9% |
| 1893 | 0.5% | -6.7% |
| 1894 | 0.5% | +2.9% |
| 1895 | 0.5% | +6.5% |
| 1896 | 0.5% | -4.0% |
| 1897 | 0.5% | +4.0% |
| 1898 | 0.5% | -7.4% |
| 1899 | 0.5% | -1.7% |
| 1900 | 0.5% | +6.2% |
| 1901 | 0.5% | -5.1% |
| 1902 | 0.5% | +9.1% |
| 1903 | 0.6% | +22.1% |
| 1904 | 0.9% | +35.3% |
| 1905 | 1.1% | +26.5% |
| 1906 | 1.2% | +14.0% |
| 1907 | 1.3% | +7.7% |
| 1908 | 1.4% | +2.3% |
| 1909 | 1.5% | +11.7% |
| 1910 | 1.5% | -1.8% |
| 1911 | 1.4% | -7.0% |
| 1912 | 1.3% | -2.8% |
| 1913 | 1.7% | +25.7% |
| 1914 | 1.4% | -15.8% |
| 1915 | 1.6% | +9.1% |
| 1916 | 1.5% | -1.9% |
| 1917 | 1.3% | -17.1% |
| 1918 | 1.2% | -7.2% |
| 1919 | 1.0% | -17.5% |
| 1920 | 0.8% | -17.6% |
| 1921 | 1.0% | +22.0% |
| 1922 | 1.0% | +5.3% |
| 1923 | 1.0% | -3.0% |
| 1924 | 1.0% | -4.0% |
| 1925 | 1.0% | +7.5% |
| 1926 | 1.1% | +4.3% |
| 1927 | 1.1% | +0.9% |
| 1928 | 1.1% | +3.3% |
| 1929 | 1.0% | -6.5% |
| 1930 | 1.0% | -2.4% |
| 1931 | 0.9% | -13.1% |
| 1932 | 0.8% | -7.3% |
| 1933 | 0.8% | -3.0% |
| 1934 | 1.1% | +36.4% |
| 1935 | 1.1% | +6.2% |
| 1936 | 1.2% | +5.0% |
| 1937 | 1.2% | +2.4% |
| 1938 | 1.3% | +6.1% |
| 1939 | 1.2% | -7.0% |
| 1940 | 1.1% | -10.7% |
| 1941 | 1.8% | +67.2% |
| 1942 | 1.5% | -20.0% |
| 1943 | 1.3% | -11.9% |
| 1944 | 1.1% | -12.8% |
| 1945 | 1.1% | -1.9% |
| 1946 | 0.8% | -24.1% |
| 1947 | 0.8% | -1.8% |
| 1948 | 1.1% | +33.6% |
| 1949 | 1.3% | +21.7% |
| 1950 | 1.2% | -10.7% |
| 1951 | 1.1% | -5.2% |
| 1952 | 2.1% | +83.7% |
| 1953 | 2.5% | +20.9% |
| 1954 | 2.1% | -17.7% |
| 1955 | 1.8% | -13.1% |
| 1956 | 1.9% | +4.7% |
| 1957 | 2.5% | +31.1% |
| 1958 | 2.3% | -6.7% |
| 1959 | 2.0% | -13.3% |
| 1960 | 1.8% | -9.5% |
| 1961 | 1.7% | -4.7% |
| 1962 | 1.8% | +4.3% |
| 1963 | 1.7% | -5.2% |
| 1964 | 1.7% | +2.7% |
| 1965 | 1.6% | -5.2% |
| 1966 | 1.5% | -7.2% |
| 1967 | 1.7% | +12.3% |
| 1968 | 1.9% | +9.5% |
| 1969 | 2.1% | +10.6% |
| 1970 | 2.3% | +9.4% |
| 1971 | 2.3% | +2.8% |
| 1972 | 2.4% | +1.7% |
| 1973 | 2.1% | -11.4% |
| 1974 | 2.0% | -3.7% |
| 1975 | 2.2% | +10.6% |
| 1976 | 2.3% | +2.8% |
| 1977 | 2.4% | +6.0% |
| 1978 | 2.5% | +2.1% |
| 1979 | 2.9% | +14.2% |
| 1980 | 2.7% | -3.6% |
| 1981 | 2.9% | +5.1% |
| 1982 | 2.9% | +2.0% |
| 1983 | 3.0% | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 2.8% | -5.4% |
| 1985 | 2.6% | -6.2% |
| 1986 | 2.5% | -3.7% |
| 1987 | 2.3% | -10.3% |
| 1988 | 2.1% | -8.0% |
| 1989 | 1.9% | -10.2% |
| 1990 | 1.8% | -3.6% |
| 1991 | 1.8% | +1.6% |
| 1992 | 1.9% | +4.4% |
| 1993 | 2.0% | +4.1% |
| 1994 | 1.9% | -3.0% |
| 1995 | 1.9% | -2.7% |
| 1996 | 1.8% | -4.8% |
| 1997 | 1.6% | -9.0% |
| 1998 | 1.4% | -16.3% |
| 1999 | 1.3% | -7.7% |
| 2000 | 1.3% | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 1.4% | +11.1% |
| 2002 | 0.9% | -37.9% |
| 2003 | 0.8% | -11.3% |
| 2004 | 0.7% | -5.6% |
| 2005 | 0.7% | -7.2% |
| 2006 | 0.7% | +5.0% |
| 2007 | 0.9% | +22.3% |
| 2008 | 1.0% | +16.6% |
| 2009 | 1.1% | +10.8% |
| 2010 | 1.2% | +4.6% |
| 2011 | 1.2% | -2.0% |
| 2012 | 1.2% | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 1.2% | +4.9% |
| 2014 | 1.2% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 1.1% | -8.3% |
| 2016 | 1.2% | +3.5% |
| 2017 | 1.2% | +2.2% |
| 2018 | 1.3% | +10.5% |
| 2019 | 1.4% | +3.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 3 |
| 1890s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 1900s | 0.9% | 0.5% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 1910s | 1.4% | 1.0% | 1.7% | 10 |
| 1920s | 1.0% | 0.8% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 1930s | 1.1% | 0.8% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 1940s | 1.2% | 0.8% | 1.8% | 10 |
| 1950s | 1.9% | 1.1% | 2.5% | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.8% | 1.5% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.3% | 2.0% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.6% | 1.9% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.7% | 1.3% | 2.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.0% | 0.7% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.2% | 1.1% | 1.4% | 10 |
Countries ranked near Thailand
More economy & growth data for Thailand
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.97 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.98 Percent per annum (2029)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant LCU), per capita 39,479 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), annual 6.38 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 0.3107 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 2,503 current US$ per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), annual -0.8861 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 10.22 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 82,318 current LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 0.8074 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending as a share of gdp in Thailand?
- Military spending as a share of gdp in Thailand was 1.4% in 2019, according to Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military spending as a share of gdp recorded in Thailand?
- The highest recorded value was 3.0% in 1983.
- What is the lowest military spending as a share of gdp recorded in Thailand?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 1899.
- How does Thailand rank for military spending as a share of gdp?
- Thailand ranks 84th out of 172 countries with data for 2019.
- Is military spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Thailand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Thailand data come from?
- The figures come from Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 133 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Military spending measured as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP).