Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Thailand is 55% bigger than Malaysia.
Malaysia: 330,411 km² (2023) · Thailand: 513,115 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Malaysia’s coastline is 45% longer than Thailand’s.
Malaysia: 4,675 km (2026 edition) · Thailand: 3,219 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Malaysia’s highest peak towers 1,530 m above Thailand’s.
Malaysia: 4,095 m (2026 edition) · Thailand: 2,565 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Thailand has 2 times as many people as Malaysia.
Malaysia: 36 million (2025) · Thailand: 71.6 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Thailand is 28% more densely populated than Malaysia.
Malaysia: 110 per km² (2025) · Thailand: 140 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Thailand are 2.4 cm taller than in Malaysia.
Malaysia: 169.2 cm (2019) · Thailand: 171.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Thailand are 2.4 cm taller than in Malaysia.
Malaysia: 157.1 cm (2019) · Thailand: 159.4 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Thailand is 9.6 years older than in Malaysia.
Malaysia: 30.1 years (2023) · Thailand: 39.7 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Malaysia have 0.3 more children on average than in Thailand.
Malaysia: 1.54 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 8.0% in Malaysia.
Malaysia: 8% (2025) · Thailand: 16% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Malaysia and Thailand are practically level.
Malaysia: 0 (2025) · Thailand: 0 (2025)
How many official languages?
Malaysia has 2 official languages, Thailand 1.
Malaysia: 2 (2026) · Thailand: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Thailand’s economy is 22% larger than Malaysia’s.
Malaysia: $472 billion (2025) · Thailand: $577 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Malaysia produces 58% more per person than Thailand.
Malaysia: Int$41,498 (2025) · Thailand: Int$26,250 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Malaysia than in Thailand (Gini 7.4 points higher).
Malaysia: 40.7 (2021) · Thailand: 33.3 (2024)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 3.8% in Malaysia, versus 0.8% in Thailand.
Malaysia: 3.8% (2025) · Thailand: 0.8% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Thailand and Malaysia are practically level.
Malaysia: 1% (2024) · Thailand: 1.1% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Malaysia’s price level (US = 100) is 1× Thailand’s.
Malaysia: 32% (2025) · Thailand: 31% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Malaysia spends 38% more on health per person than Thailand.
Malaysia: $450 (2023) · Thailand: $327 (2023)
How long do people live?
Malaysia and Thailand are practically level.
Malaysia: 76.8 years (2024) · Thailand: 76.6 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Thailand is 10% more likely to die before turning one than in Malaysia.
Malaysia: 7 per 1,000 (2024) · Thailand: 7.7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Malaysia has 4.3 times as many doctors per person as Thailand.
Malaysia: 2.3 per 1,000 (2023) · Thailand: 0.5 per 1,000 (2021)
How common is obesity?
24% of adults in Malaysia are obese, versus 16% in Thailand.
Malaysia: 23.6% (2024) · Thailand: 15.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
18% of adults in Thailand smoke, versus 17% in Malaysia.
Malaysia: 16.9% (2024) · Thailand: 17.8% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Thailand rate their lives 0.29 points higher than in Malaysia.
Malaysia: 6.01 (2025) · Thailand: 6.30 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Thailand drink 9.8 times as much alcohol as in Malaysia.
Malaysia: 0.8 litres (2023) · Thailand: 7.9 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Malaysia has 2.8 times as much meat per person as Thailand.
Malaysia: 69.1 kg (2023) · Thailand: 24.5 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Malaysia has 71 kcal more food per person per day than Thailand.
Malaysia: 2,927 kcal (2023) · Thailand: 2,855 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Malaysia put in 130 more hours a year than in Thailand.
Malaysia: 2,308 hours (2023) · Thailand: 2,177 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Malaysia went to school 2.1 years longer than in Thailand.
Malaysia: 11.1 years (2023) · Thailand: 9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Thailand welcomed 92% more tourists per resident than Malaysia (2019).
Malaysia: 0.29 (2022) · Thailand: 0.56 (2019)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
98% of people in Malaysia are online, versus 91% in Thailand.
Malaysia: 98% (2024) · Thailand: 91% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Malaysia and Thailand are practically level.
Malaysia: 100% (2024) · Thailand: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
77% of people in Malaysia live in cities, versus 63% in Thailand.
Malaysia: 77% (2025) · Thailand: 63% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Thailand has 161 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Malaysia 140.
Malaysia: 140 (2024) · Thailand: 161 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Thailand’s railway network is 2.5 times as long as Malaysia’s.
Malaysia: 1,655 km (2021) · Thailand: 4,092 km (2017)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Malaysia fly 79% more passengers per resident than those from Thailand.
Malaysia: 1.3 (2023) · Thailand: 0.72 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 58% of Malaysia, but only 39% of Thailand.
Malaysia: 57.7% (2023) · Thailand: 38.7% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Malaysia emits 2.2 times as much CO₂ as someone in Thailand.
Malaysia: 8.2 t (2024) · Thailand: 3.7 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
21% of Malaysia’s electricity is renewable, versus 17% in Thailand.
Malaysia: 20.7% (2025) · Thailand: 16.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Thailand carries 52% more fine dust than in Malaysia.
Malaysia: 15.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Thailand: 23.3 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
Malaysia: 0.7 per 100k (2023) · Thailand: no data
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Thailand are 83% deadlier than in Malaysia.
Malaysia: 13.9 per 100k (2021) · Thailand: 25.4 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Thailand is on average 0.8 °C warmer than Malaysia.
Malaysia: 26°C (2016–2025 avg) · Thailand: 26.8°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Malaysia gets 86% more rain than Thailand.
Malaysia: 3,081 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Thailand: 1,657 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Malaysia bigger than Thailand?
Thailand is larger. Thailand is 55% bigger than Malaysia.
Which has more people, Malaysia or Thailand?
Thailand has 2 times as many people as Malaysia (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Malaysia or Thailand?
Malaysia and Thailand are practically level. Life expectancy at birth is 76.8 years in Malaysia and 76.6 in Thailand.
Are people taller in Malaysia or Thailand?
Men in Thailand are 2.4 cm taller than in Malaysia (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
