SOUTH-EASTERN ASIA

Thailand

Bangkok · pop. 66M · Thai · Thai baht

Trajectories

economic complexity

#33

A major climb in export sophistication, from #53 in 1995.

2024 · 0.81

Harvard Growth Lab · thin line is the world’s median

the numbers30

when	value	change
1995	0.41
1996	0.38	−0.03 pts
1997low	0.38	0 pts
1998	0.41	+0.03 pts
1999	0.47	+0.06 pts
2000	0.56	+0.10 pts
2001	0.60	+0.04 pts
2002	0.58	−0.02 pts
2003	0.61	+0.03 pts
2004	0.63	+0.02 pts
2005	0.65	+0.02 pts
2006	0.69	+0.04 pts
2007	0.70	+0.01 pts
2008	0.72	+0.02 pts
2009	0.72	0 pts
2010	0.78	+0.06 pts
2011	0.78	0 pts
2012	0.81	+0.03 pts
2013	0.86	+0.06 pts
2014	0.91	+0.05 pts
2015	0.93	+0.02 pts
2016	0.93	0 pts
2017	0.94	+0.01 pts
2018	0.93	−0.01 pts
2019	0.95	+0.02 pts
2020	0.95	0 pts
2021high	0.95	0 pts
2022	0.87	−0.09 pts
2023	0.85	−0.01 pts
2024latest	0.81	−0.04 pts

economic momentum

$7,347

Tripled since 2000. GDP per head in 2024, in current US dollars.

2024 · $7,347

World Bank · thin line is the world’s median

the numbers35

when	value	change
1990low	$1,559
1991	$1,766	+13.2%
1992	$1,972	+11.7%
1993	$2,245	+13.9%
1994	$2,518	+12.1%
1995	$2,864	+13.8%
1996	$3,055	+6.6%
1997	$2,473	−19.0%
1998	$1,848	−25.3%
1999	$2,033	+10.0%
2000	$2,006	−1.3%
2001	$1,890	−5.8%
2002	$2,090	+10.6%
2003	$2,348	+12.3%
2004	$2,642	+12.5%
2005	$2,868	+8.6%
2006	$3,331	+16.2%
2007	$3,919	+17.6%
2008	$4,309	+10.0%
2009	$4,135	−4.0%
2010	$4,974	+20.3%
2011	$5,374	+8.0%
2012	$5,726	+6.5%
2013	$6,018	+5.1%
2014	$5,801	−3.6%
2015	$5,689	−1.9%
2016	$5,834	+2.5%
2017	$6,413	+9.9%
2018	$7,100	+10.7%
2019high	$7,606	+7.1%
2020	$6,986	−8.2%
2021	$7,057	+1.0%
2022	$6,909	−2.1%
2023	$7,195	+4.1%
2024latest	$7,347	+2.1%

prices

1.4%

A year’s rise in consumer prices, in 2024. The world’s median was 3.1%.

2024 · 1.4%

World Bank · thin line is the world’s median

the numbers35

when	value	change
1990	5.9%
1991	5.7%	−0.15 pts
1992	4.1%	−1.57 pts
1993	3.3%	−0.83 pts
1994	5.0%	+1.74 pts
1995	5.8%	+0.77 pts
1996	5.8%	−0.01 pts
1997	5.6%	−0.18 pts
1998	8.0%	+2.37 pts
1999	0.3%	−7.71 pts
2000	1.6%	+1.31 pts
2001	1.6%	+0.03 pts
2002	0.7%	−0.93 pts
2003	1.8%	+1.11 pts
2004	2.8%	+0.95 pts
2005	4.5%	+1.78 pts
2006	4.6%	+0.10 pts
2007	2.2%	−2.40 pts
2008	5.5%	+3.23 pts
2009	−0.8%	−6.31 pts
2010	3.2%	+4.09 pts
2011	3.8%	+0.56 pts
2012	3.0%	−0.79 pts
2013	2.2%	−0.83 pts
2014	1.9%	−0.29 pts
2015	−0.9%	−2.80 pts
2016	0.2%	+1.09 pts
2017	0.7%	+0.48 pts
2018	1.1%	+0.40 pts
2019	0.7%	−0.36 pts
2020	−0.8%	−1.55 pts
2021	1.2%	+2.08 pts
2022low	−1.6%	−2.84 pts
2023high	8.5%	+10.1 pts
2024latest	1.4%	−7.11 pts

demographic curve

1.2 children per woman

Far below replacement: rapid ageing ahead. Fell from 3.3 in 1980.

2024 · 1.2

World Bank · thin line is the world’s median · rule marks replacement (2.1)

the numbers65

when	value	change
1960	6.3
1961	6.3	0.0%
1962	6.3	+0.1%
1963high	6.3	+0.2%
1964	6.3	−0.5%
1965	6.3	−0.8%
1966	6.2	−1.2%
1967	6.1	−1.7%
1968	5.9	−2.5%
1969	5.7	−3.8%
1970	5.5	−4.4%
1971	5.3	−3.7%
1972	5.1	−3.4%
1973	4.8	−4.6%
1974	4.6	−5.1%
1975	4.4	−5.1%
1976	4.1	−5.6%
1977	3.9	−6.2%
1978	3.6	−6.4%
1979	3.5	−4.6%
1980	3.3	−4.6%
1981	3.1	−5.0%
1982	2.9	−5.9%
1983	2.8	−6.4%
1984	2.6	−6.3%
1985	2.5	−5.1%
1986	2.4	−3.8%
1987	2.3	−4.4%
1988	2.2	−3.7%
1989	2.1	−1.6%
1990	2.1	−3.3%
1991	2.0	−1.4%
1992	2.0	−1.4%
1993	2.0	−2.0%
1994	1.9	−2.0%
1995	1.9	−2.1%
1996	1.9	−1.2%
1997	1.8	−1.1%
1998	1.8	−1.6%
1999	1.8	−2.6%
2000	1.7	−1.9%
2001	1.7	−1.3%
2002	1.7	−1.3%
2003	1.7	−0.9%
2004	1.7	−0.5%
2005	1.6	−1.3%
2006	1.6	−0.8%
2007	1.6	−0.9%
2008	1.6	−1.8%
2009	1.6	−1.4%
2010	1.6	−0.2%
2011	1.6	+0.6%
2012	1.6	−0.5%
2013	1.5	−2.4%
2014	1.5	−2.8%
2015	1.5	−2.2%
2016	1.4	−3.5%
2017	1.4	−2.6%
2018	1.3	−2.9%
2019	1.3	−2.9%
2020	1.3	−2.0%
2021	1.2	−2.0%
2022	1.2	−1.1%
2023	1.2	−0.7%
2024latest	1.2	−0.7%

Metrics

population

66M

23 of 176

REST Countries · UN data
gdp

$516B

29 of 170

World Bank · latest available
gdp per capita

$7,195

80 of 170

World Bank · latest available
military spending

$6B

40 of 151

SIPRI via World Bank
military % of gdp

1.1%

110 of 148

SIPRI via World Bank
area

513K km²

52 of 176

REST Countries
population density

129 /km²

47 of 176

zuhd — derived from population and area
life expectancy

76.4 yr

67 of 175

World Bank · latest available
internet access

90%

44 of 166

ITU via World Bank
co₂ per capita

4.0 t

62 of 163

World Bank · Climate Watch
urbanisation

62%

91 of 168

World Bank · UN DESA
fertility rate

1.2

158 of 168

World Bank · UN DESA
foreign-born share

4.4%

80 of 167

World Bank · UN DESA
remittances % of gdp

1.8%

85 of 155

World Bank · IMF BOP
r&d % of gdp

0.9%

42 of 123

UNESCO UIS via World Bank
researchers per million

1,592

46 of 118

UNESCO UIS via World Bank
scientific articles / yr

18K

29 of 168

NSF / World Bank
high-tech exports %

28%

12 of 153

World Bank · UN Comtrade
gini inequality

33.3

53 of 139

World Bank · PovcalNet
youth unemployment

5%

28 of 166

ILO via World Bank
adult literacy

91%

53 of 109

UNESCO UIS via World Bank
democracy (v-dem)

0.31

87 of 163

V-Dem via Our World in Data
clean government

34

97 of 164

Transparency International via Our World in Data
press freedom

45.2

122 of 163

RSF via Our World in Data
human development

0.798

64 of 164

UNDP via Our World in Data
refugees hosted

84K

56 of 150

UNHCR via Our World in Data
refugees produced

300

115 of 152

UNHCR via Our World in Data