Thailand vs Malaysia: how the neighbours compare
| Indicator | Thailand | Malaysia | Ranks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | |||
| Population | 71.6m2025 | 36.0m2025 | 20 · 45 |
| Area | 513,115 km²2024 | 330,534 km²2024 | 52 · 68 |
| Density | 140.32024 | 108.22024 | 83 · 98 |
| Urban share | 62.8%2025 | 77.4%2025 | 117 · 68 |
| Fertility | 1.202024 | 1.542024 | 199 · 144 |
| Aged 65+ | 16.0%2025 | 8.0%2025 | 62 · 118 |
| Economy | |||
| GDP | $577bn2025 | $472bn2025 | 29 · 34 |
| GDP per capita | $8,0572025 | $13,1252025 | 113 · 94 |
| GDP per capita, PPP | $26,2502025 | $41,4982025 | 87 · 64 |
| GDP growth | 2.4%2025 | 5.2%2025 | 134 · 46 |
| Agriculture share | 8.7%2025 | 8.2%2025 | 78 · 82 |
| Industry share | 31.1%2025 | 35.7%2025 | 50 · 28 |
| Services share | 60.2%2025 | 54.8%2025 | 83 · 123 |
| Prices & public finance | |||
| Inflation | -0.1%2025 | 1.4%2025 | 169 · 137 |
| Tax revenue | 15.2%2024 | 12.4%2024 | 83 · 103 |
| Military spending | 1.04%2025 | 1.04%2025 | 113 · 114 |
| Trade & investment | |||
| Exports | 71.1%2025 | 71.0%2025 | 27 · 28 |
| FDI inflows | 3.2%2025 | 4.6%2025 | 68 · 44 |
| Labour | |||
| Unemployment | 0.8%2025 | 3.8%2025 | 184 · 124 |
| Aid, poverty & equality | |||
| Women in parliament | 19.6%2025 | 13.5%2025 | 127 · 156 |
| Education | |||
| Tertiary enrolment | 49.1%2025 | 38.5%2024 | 83 · 100 |
| Education spending | 2.5%2023 | 3.5%2023 | 157 · 119 |
| Health | |||
| Life expectancy | 76.6 yrs2024 | 76.8 yrs2024 | 90 · 86 |
| Infant mortality | 7.72024 | 7.02024 | 131 · 138 |
| Health spending | 4.5%2023 | 4.0%2023 | 137 · 156 |
| Physicians | 0.542021 | 2.342023 | 128 · 77 |
| Digital & energy access | |||
| Internet users | 90.9%2024 | 98.0%2024 | 52 · 12 |
| Fixed broadband | 14.92024 | 13.52024 | 102 · 104 |
| Electricity access | 100.0%2024 | 100.0%2024 | 105 · 64 |
| Environment | |||
| CO₂ per person | 3.96 t2024 | 8.32 t2024 | 73 · 26 |
| Renewable energy | 19.0%2021 | 7.5%2021 | 111 · 159 |
| Forest cover | 38.7%2024 | 57.7%2024 | 84 · 37 |
Higher value in each row is highlighted; it is not always the better one (think inflation or emissions). Ranks are world positions.
GDP per capita
ThailandMalaysia
Life expectancy
ThailandMalaysia
Population
ThailandMalaysia
Internet users
ThailandMalaysia
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
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