Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Thailand is 55% bigger than Vietnam.
Thailand: 513,115 km² (2023) · Vietnam: 331,338 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Vietnam’s coastline is 7% longer than Thailand’s.
Thailand: 3,219 km (2026 edition) · Vietnam: 3,444 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Vietnam’s highest peak towers 579 m above Thailand’s.
Thailand: 2,565 m (2026 edition) · Vietnam: 3,144 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Vietnam has 42% more people than Thailand.
Thailand: 71.6 million (2025) · Vietnam: 102 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Vietnam is 2.3 times as densely populated as Thailand.
Thailand: 140 per km² (2025) · Vietnam: 324 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Thailand are 2.7 cm taller than in Vietnam.
Thailand: 171.6 cm (2019) · Vietnam: 168.9 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Thailand are 1.0 cm taller than in Vietnam.
Thailand: 159.4 cm (2019) · Vietnam: 158.4 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Thailand is 7.2 years older than in Vietnam.
Thailand: 39.7 years (2023) · Vietnam: 32.4 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Vietnam have 0.7 more children on average than in Thailand.
Thailand: 1.2 children per woman (2024) · Vietnam: 1.9 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
16% of people in Thailand are 65 or older, versus 9.5% in Vietnam.
Thailand: 16% (2025) · Vietnam: 9.5% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Vietnam has produced 0.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Thailand none.
Thailand: 0 (2025) · Vietnam: 0.1 (2025)
How many official languages?
Thailand and Vietnam are practically level.
Thailand: 1 (2026) · Vietnam: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Thailand’s economy is 12% larger than Vietnam’s.
Thailand: $577 billion (2025) · Vietnam: $515 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Thailand produces 45% more per person than Vietnam.
Thailand: Int$26,250 (2025) · Vietnam: Int$18,089 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Vietnam than in Thailand (Gini 2.8 points higher).
Thailand: 33.3 (2024) · Vietnam: 36.1 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 1.5% in Vietnam, versus 0.8% in Thailand.
Thailand: 0.8% (2025) · Vietnam: 1.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Vietnam spends 1.8% of its GDP on the military, Thailand 1.1%.
Thailand: 1.1% (2024) · Vietnam: 1.8% (2018)
How expensive is it?
Thailand’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× Vietnam’s.
Thailand: 31% (2025) · Vietnam: 28% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Thailand spends 66% more on health per person than Vietnam.
Thailand: $327 (2023) · Vietnam: $197 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Thailand live 1.8 years longer than in Vietnam.
Thailand: 76.6 years (2024) · Vietnam: 74.7 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Vietnam is 56% more likely to die before turning one than in Thailand.
Thailand: 7.7 per 1,000 (2024) · Vietnam: 12 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Vietnam has 2 times as many doctors per person as Thailand.
Thailand: 0.5 per 1,000 (2021) · Vietnam: 1.1 per 1,000 (2021)
How common is obesity?
16% of adults in Thailand are obese, versus 2.5% in Vietnam.
Thailand: 15.5% (2024) · Vietnam: 2.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
21% of adults in Vietnam smoke, versus 18% in Thailand.
Thailand: 17.8% (2024) · Vietnam: 21.1% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Vietnam rate their lives 0.13 points higher than in Thailand.
Thailand: 6.30 (2025) · Vietnam: 6.43 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Vietnam drink 36% more alcohol than in Thailand.
Thailand: 7.9 litres (2023) · Vietnam: 10.7 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Vietnam has 2.5 times as much meat per person as Thailand.
Thailand: 24.5 kg (2023) · Vietnam: 60.5 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Vietnam has 231 kcal more food per person per day than Thailand.
Thailand: 2,855 kcal (2023) · Vietnam: 3,086 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Thailand put in 17 more hours a year than in Vietnam.
Thailand: 2,177 hours (2023) · Vietnam: 2,160 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Thailand went to school 0.06 years longer than in Vietnam.
Thailand: 9 years (2023) · Vietnam: 9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Thailand welcomed 6.9 times as many tourists per resident as Vietnam (2019).
Thailand: 0.56 (2019) · Vietnam: 0.08 (2015)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
91% of people in Thailand are online, versus 84% in Vietnam.
Thailand: 91% (2024) · Vietnam: 84% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Thailand and Vietnam are practically level.
Thailand: 100% (2024) · Vietnam: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
63% of people in Thailand live in cities, versus 39% in Vietnam.
Thailand: 63% (2025) · Vietnam: 39% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Thailand has 161 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Vietnam 128.
Thailand: 161 (2024) · Vietnam: 128 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Thailand’s railway network is 30% longer than Vietnam’s.
Thailand: 4,092 km (2017) · Vietnam: 3,159 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Thailand fly 34% more passengers per resident than those from Vietnam.
Thailand: 0.72 (2023) · Vietnam: 0.54 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 47% of Vietnam, but only 39% of Thailand.
Thailand: 38.7% (2023) · Vietnam: 47.4% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Thailand emits 2% more CO₂ than someone in Vietnam.
Thailand: 3.7 t (2024) · Vietnam: 3.7 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
45% of Vietnam’s electricity is renewable, versus 17% in Thailand.
Thailand: 16.6% (2025) · Vietnam: 45.4% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Vietnam carries 10% more fine dust than in Thailand.
Thailand: 23.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Vietnam: 25.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Thailand are 44% deadlier than in Vietnam.
Thailand: 25.4 per 100k (2021) · Vietnam: 17.7 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Thailand is on average 2.4 °C warmer than Vietnam.
Thailand: 26.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Vietnam: 24.4°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Vietnam gets 29% more rain than Thailand.
Thailand: 1,657 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Vietnam: 2,132 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Thailand bigger than Vietnam?
Thailand is larger. Thailand is 55% bigger than Vietnam.
Which has more people, Thailand or Vietnam?
Vietnam has 42% more people than Thailand (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Thailand or Vietnam?
People in Thailand live 1.8 years longer than in Vietnam. Life expectancy at birth is 76.6 years in Thailand and 74.7 in Vietnam.
Are people taller in Thailand or Vietnam?
Men in Thailand are 2.7 cm taller than in Vietnam (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
