Thailand vs Viet Nam
Side-by-side economic and demographic comparison · 2026 data · Source: IMF & World Bank
Thailand and Vietnam represent two generations of Southeast Asian industrialization. Thailand industrialized earlier (1980s-1990s) and achieved middle-income status, but has struggled with the "middle-income trap" — growth has slowed as wages rose but productivity gains stalled. Vietnam is following a similar export-led manufacturing path but at an earlier stage, with lower wages attracting factory investment from companies diversifying away from China. Vietnam's economy has been growing 2-3 percentage points faster than Thailand's annually. Thailand has a more developed tourism sector and financial system.
Thailand has a GDP of $561.51B compared to Viet Nam's $511.06B, making it 1.1x larger. Thailand's population is 71.7M vs Viet Nam's 101.0M. Across 12 key indicators, Thailand leads in 8 categories. All data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators.
| Indicator |  Thailand |  Viet Nam |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $561.51B✓ | $511.06B |
| GDP per Capita | $7,979✓ | $4,965 |
| GDP Growth (%) | 1.6% | 5.6%✓ |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $27,245✓ | $18,870 |
| Population | 71.7M | 101.0M✓ |
| Life Expectancy | 76.4 years✓ | 74.6 years |
| Inflation (%) | 0.7%✓ | 3.2% |
| Unemployment (%) | 1.0%✓ | 2.5% |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 66.7% | 31.8%✓ |
| Fertility Rate | 1.2 | 1.9✓ |
| Gini Index | 33.5✓ | 36.1 |
| CO₂ per Capita (t) | 4✓ | 4.3 |
Summary
Thailand has a GDP of $561.51B compared to Viet Nam's $511.06B, making the former economy 1.1x larger. In terms of population, Thailand has 71.7M people while Viet Nam has 101.0M. Across the 12 indicators compared, Thailand leads in 8 and Viet Nam leads in 4.
ThailandViet Nam