Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Thailand fits inside China 19 times
China: 9,562,910 km² (2024) · Thailand: 513,115 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
China’s coastline is 4.5 times as long as Thailand’s
China: 14,500 km (2026 edition) · Thailand: 3,219 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
China’s highest peak towers 6,284 m above Thailand’s
China: 8,849 m (2026 edition) · Thailand: 2,565 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 43% of Thailand, versus 42% of China
China: 41.7% (2024) · Thailand: 43.3% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
China has 20 times as many people as Thailand
China: 1.41 billion (2025) · Thailand: 71.6 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
China is 7% more densely populated than Thailand
China: 150 per km² (2025) · Thailand: 140 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in China are 4.0 cm taller than in Thailand
China: 175.7 cm (2019) · Thailand: 171.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in China are 4.0 cm taller than in Thailand
China: 163.5 cm (2019) · Thailand: 159.4 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Thailand is 0.59 years older than in China
China: 39.1 years (2023) · Thailand: 39.7 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Thailand have 0.2 more children on average than in China
China: 1.01 children per woman (2024) · Thailand: 1.2 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
16% of people in Thailand are 65 or older, versus 15% in China
China: 14.9% (2025) · Thailand: 16% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Thailand hosts 7,174 times as many refugees per resident as China
China: 0.00016 per 1,000 (2025) · Thailand: 1.2 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
China has produced 0.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Thailand none
China: 0.1 (2026) · Thailand: 0 (2026)
How many official languages?
China and Thailand are practically level
China: 1 (2026) · Thailand: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
China’s economy is 34 times the size of Thailand’s
China: $19.5 trillion (2025) · Thailand: $577 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
China produces 12% more per person than Thailand
China: Int$29,333 (2025) · Thailand: Int$26,250 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in China than in Thailand (Gini 2.7 points higher)
China: 36 (2022) · Thailand: 33.3 (2024)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
China and Thailand are practically level
China: 0% (2022) · Thailand: 0% (2024)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 4.6% in China, versus 0.8% in Thailand
China: 4.6% (2025) · Thailand: 0.8% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
China spends 1.7% of its GDP on the military, Thailand 1.0%
China: 1.7% (2025) · Thailand: 1% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Thailand’s central government collects 15% of GDP in tax, China’s 7.0%
China: 7% (2024) · Thailand: 15.2% (2024)
How expensive is it?
China’s price level (US = 100) is 1.5× Thailand’s
China: 47% (2025) · Thailand: 31% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
China spends 2.3 times as much on health per person as Thailand
China: $763 (2023) · Thailand: $327 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in China live 1.5 years longer than in Thailand
China: 78 years (2024) · Thailand: 76.6 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Thailand is 88% more likely to die before turning one than in China
China: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Thailand: 7.7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
China has 5.8 times as many doctors per person as Thailand
China: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Thailand: 0.5 per 1,000 (2021)
How many hospital beds are there?
China has 2.4 times as many hospital beds per person as Thailand
China: 5.6 per 1,000 (2023) · Thailand: 2.4 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Thailand is 20% higher than in China
China: 8 per 100k (2023) · Thailand: 9.6 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
16% of adults in Thailand are obese, versus 9.1% in China
China: 9.1% (2024) · Thailand: 15.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
23% of adults in China smoke, versus 18% in Thailand
China: 22.8% (2024) · Thailand: 17.8% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Thailand rate their lives 0.22 points higher than in China
China: 6.07 (2025) · Thailand: 6.30 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Thailand drink 2.1 times as much alcohol as in China
China: 3.7 litres (2023) · Thailand: 7.9 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
China has 3 times as much meat per person as Thailand
China: 73.5 kg (2023) · Thailand: 24.5 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
China has 672 kcal more food per person per day than Thailand
China: 3,527 kcal (2023) · Thailand: 2,855 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in China put in 151 more hours a year than in Thailand
China: 2,328 hours (2023) · Thailand: 2,177 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Thailand went to school 1 year longer than in China
China: 8 years (2023) · Thailand: 9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Thailand welcomed 12 times as many tourists per resident as China (2019)
China: 0.05 (2019) · Thailand: 0.56 (2019)
How many World Heritage sites?
China has 52 more World Heritage sites than Thailand (61 against 9)
China: 61 (2026) · Thailand: 9 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
China has won 819 Olympic medals, Thailand 41
China: 819 (2026 edition) · Thailand: 41 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
92% of people in China are online, versus 91% in Thailand
China: 92% (2025) · Thailand: 91% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in China is 1% faster than in Thailand
China: 364 Mbps (2026) · Thailand: 360 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
China and Thailand are practically level
China: 100% (2024) · Thailand: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
66% of people in China live in cities, versus 63% in Thailand
China: 66% (2025) · Thailand: 63% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Thailand has 161 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, China 132
China: 132 (2024) · Thailand: 161 (2024)
How much railway is there?
China’s railway network is 27 times as long as Thailand’s
China: 109,767 km (2021) · Thailand: 4,092 km (2017)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Thailand fly 65% more passengers per resident than those from China
China: 0.44 (2023) · Thailand: 0.72 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 39% of Thailand, but only 24% of China
China: 24% (2024) · Thailand: 38.7% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in China emits 2.3 times as much CO₂ as someone in Thailand
China: 8.7 t (2024) · Thailand: 3.7 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
37% of China’s electricity is renewable, versus 17% in Thailand
China: 37% (2025) · Thailand: 16.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in China carries 34% more fine dust than in Thailand
China: 31.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Thailand: 23.3 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
China: 0.5 per 100k (2020) · Thailand: no data
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Thailand are 44% deadlier than in China
China: 24.7 per 100k (2023) · Thailand: 35.6 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Thailand is on average 18.9 °C warmer than China
China: 7.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Thailand: 26.8°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Thailand gets 2 times as much rain as China
China: 813 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Thailand: 1,657 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is China bigger than Thailand?
China is larger. Thailand fits inside China 19 times.
Which has more people, China or Thailand?
China has 20 times as many people as Thailand (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, China or Thailand?
People in China live 1.5 years longer than in Thailand. Life expectancy at birth is 78.0 years in China and 76.6 in Thailand.
Are people taller in China or Thailand?
Men in China are 4.0 cm taller than in Thailand (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
