Which has more people, South Africa or Thailand?

South Africa has a population of 65,453,084 (24th of 235 countries) and Thailand has 71,559,614 (21st of 235).

How do South Africa and Thailand compare on Life Expectancy at Birth (Years)?

Life Expectancy at Birth (Years): South Africa 66.3 (181st of 215), Thailand 76.6 (88th of 215) among countries. Thailand ranks better.

How do South Africa and Thailand compare on GDP per Person at PPP (International $)?

GDP per Person at PPP (International $): South Africa $15,906 (108th of 184), Thailand $26,250 (76th of 184) among countries. Thailand ranks better.

Where does South Africa beat Thailand most clearly?

South Africa ranks far ahead on % of Population at High Flood Risk (Flooding by Country): 6.1% vs 33.9%; % of GDP per Year Spent on Education (Education Spending by Country): 6.12% vs 2.52%; V-Dem DCI Score (V Dem Democracy Index by Country): 0.9 vs 0.35.

Where does Thailand beat South Africa most clearly?

Thailand ranks far ahead on Unemployment Rate - CIA (Unemployment by Country): 0.7% vs 33.2%; Unemployment Rate (%) (Economic Indicators by Country (World Bank)): 0.78% vs 32.4%; Unemployment Rate - ILO (Unemployment by Country): 0.9% vs 28.8%.

South Africa vs Thailand

Thailand comes out ahead of South Africa on 408 of 604 statistics where one end is better, to 192 with 4 ties. South Africa leads on Law and Politics & Government. Thailand leads on Manufacturing & Mining, Health and Economics and 7 more categories.

604 statistics with a better end, compared

Each counts once for the place that ranks better; 4 ties. Totals that mostly track population are left out.

South Africa

Wins: 192
Avg. percentile: 43
Categories led: 2

Thailand

Wins: 408
Avg. percentile: 53
Categories led: 10

At a glance

Headline statistics, each ranked among all countries.

Statistic	South Africa	Thailand
Population	65,453,084 24th of 235	71,559,614 21st of 235
Life Expectancy at Birth (Years)Health Indicators by Country (World Bank)	66.3 181st of 215	76.6 88th of 215
GDP per Person at PPP (International $)Economic Indicators by Country (World Bank)	$15,906 108th of 184	$26,250 76th of 184
Unemployment Rate (%)Economic Indicators by Country (World Bank)	32.4% 180th of 181	0.78% 4th of 181
Access to Electricity (% of People)Development Indicators by Country (World Bank)	90.2% 160th of 214	100.0% tied 1st of 214
Infant Deaths per 1,000 BirthsHealth Indicators by Country (World Bank)	24.2 138th of 195	7.7 tied 66th of 195
GDP per Person (US$)Economic Indicators by Country (World Bank)	$6,598 103rd of 185	$8,057 91st of 185

By category

Average percentile on each category's widely ranked statistics.

Manufacturing & MiningThailand · 3 statistics
HealthThailand · 203 statistics
EconomicsThailand · 80 statistics
LawSouth Africa · 8 statistics
Crime & SafetyThailand · 46 statistics
Politics & GovernmentSouth Africa · 38 statistics
Infrastructure & EnergyThailand · 37 statistics
PopulationThailand · 18 statistics
Tech & BusinessThailand · 21 statistics
CultureThailand · 71 statistics
EnvironmentThailand · 46 statistics
EducationThailand · 10 statistics
TravelEven · 10 statistics

Biggest differences

The 30 statistics where their rankings differ most, among rankings of at least 118 countries.

Statistic	South Africa	Thailand
Unemployment Rate - CIAUnemployment by Country	33.2% 183rd of 184	0.7% 4th of 184
Unemployment Rate (%)Economic Indicators by Country (World Bank)	32.4% 180th of 181	0.78% 4th of 181
Unemployment Rate - ILOUnemployment by Country	28.8% 154th of 155	0.9% tied 5th of 155
Misery IndexWorst Countries to Live in	79 172nd of 178	3.1 3rd of 178
% of Population at High Flood RiskFlooding by Country	6.1% tied 6th of 185	33.9% 175th of 185
Gonococcal Infection RateSTD Rates by Country	1,534 per 100k 196th of 201	50.7 per 100k 15th of 201
Other STIs RateSTD Rates by Country	241.49 per 100k 181st of 201	73.35 per 100k 10th of 201
Vacc. Rate BCGVaccination Rates by Country	74.0% tied 137th of 153	99.0% tied 1st of 153
% of Pop. Living on Less Than $3.65 USD/DayPoverty Rate by Country	39.1% 124th of 158	0.04% tied 5th of 158
Heart Disease Age-Standardized Prevalence Rate - FemaleHeart Disease Rates by Country	7,738 per 100k 160th of 204	4,510 per 100k 10th of 204
% of GDP per Year Spent on EducationEducation Spending by Country	6.12% 12th of 118	2.52% 93rd of 118
Cocaine Use Disorder Rate (GBD)Most Cocaine Use by Country	117.79 per 100k 169th of 203	3.05 per 100k 32nd of 203
Median Fixed Broadband DL SpeedInternet Speeds by Country	48.31 Mbps 114th of 156	275.26 Mbps 10th of 156
V-Dem DCI ScoreV Dem Democracy Index by Country	0.9 tied 18th of 175	0.35 135th of 175
Cocaine Use RateDrug Use by Country	127.7 per 100k 168th of 204	5.09 per 100k 36th of 204
Crime Index Numbeo (1-100)Crime Rate by Country	74.7 140th of 144	37.3 49th of 144
Safety Index Numbeo (100-1)Crime Rate by Country	25.3 140th of 144	62.7 49th of 144
Gini Coefficient - IncomeGini Coefficient by Country	63.0 172nd of 172	33.5 tied 65th of 172
Heart Disease Age-Standardized Prevalence RateHeart Disease Rates by Country	7,654 per 100k 126th of 204	4,818 per 100k 1st of 204
Life ExpectancyHappy Planet Index by Country	62.3 126th of 149	78.7 tied 34th of 149
Access Tt Justice (0-4)Most Dangerous Countries for Women	3.3 tied 29th of 198	1.9 tied 148th of 198
Women’s Employment 2020 to 2024Most Dangerous Countries for Women	45.0% 163rd of 198	76.5% tied 43rd of 198
Anxiety Cases Upper LimitAnxiety Rates by Country	8,899 per 100k 128th of 203	3,305 per 100k 6th of 203
Happy Planet Index ScoreHappy Planet Index by Country	29.3 tied 113th of 147	48.0 tied 25th of 147
% Risk at 74Liver Cancer Rates by Country	0.54% tied 69th of 185	2.7% 181st of 185
Female Obesity Rate (WHO)Obesity Rates by Country	47.6% 173rd of 196	18.8% 57th of 196
Mortality (Deaths) - MaleCancer Rates by Country	58,934 165th of 183	2,290 57th of 183
Parliamentary Representation of WomenMost Dangerous Countries for Women	44.7% 16th of 197	20.4% 132nd of 197
Legatum Prosperity Index Health RankingsLegatum Prosperity Index	129th 129th of 167	31st 31st of 167
LPI Health ScoreBest Healthcare in the World	59.9 129th of 167	78.92 31st of 167

See every statistic they shareSearch and sort all of them, adjust for cost of living or population, or add up to two more places.

Quick answers

Which is better, South Africa or Thailand?: Thailand comes out ahead of South Africa on 408 of 604 statistics where one end is better, to 192 with 4 ties. South Africa leads on Law and Politics & Government. Thailand leads on Manufacturing & Mining, Health and Economics and 7 more categories. Statistics where neither end is better, and totals that mostly track population, are not counted.
Which has more people, South Africa or Thailand?: South Africa has a population of 65,453,084 (24th of 235 countries) and Thailand has 71,559,614 (21st of 235).
How do South Africa and Thailand compare on Life Expectancy at Birth (Years)?: Life Expectancy at Birth (Years): South Africa 66.3 (181st of 215), Thailand 76.6 (88th of 215) among countries. Thailand ranks better.
How do South Africa and Thailand compare on GDP per Person at PPP (International $)?: GDP per Person at PPP (International $): South Africa $15,906 (108th of 184), Thailand $26,250 (76th of 184) among countries. Thailand ranks better.
Where does South Africa beat Thailand most clearly?: South Africa ranks far ahead on % of Population at High Flood Risk (Flooding by Country): 6.1% vs 33.9%; % of GDP per Year Spent on Education (Education Spending by Country): 6.12% vs 2.52%; V-Dem DCI Score (V Dem Democracy Index by Country): 0.9 vs 0.35.
Where does Thailand beat South Africa most clearly?: Thailand ranks far ahead on Unemployment Rate - CIA (Unemployment by Country): 0.7% vs 33.2%; Unemployment Rate (%) (Economic Indicators by Country (World Bank)): 0.78% vs 32.4%; Unemployment Rate - ILO (Unemployment by Country): 0.9% vs 28.8%.

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