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South Korea vs Thailand: Compare Statistics

Side-by-side comparison of 121 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more — latest data through 2026.

South Korea
kor
Leads on 65 of 121 metrics
Thailand
tha
Leads on 47 of 121 metrics

Summary

Comparing South Korea and Thailand: Thailand leads on Oil Consumption (988,000) against South Korea (2.25); Thailand leads on Oil Imports (807,100) against South Korea (3.07); Thailand leads on Refined Petroleum Products Exports (278,300) against South Korea (1.40). Across 121 compared metrics, South Korea wins on 65 and Thailand wins on 47.

  • Communications: 7 metrics compared
  • Economy: 50 metrics compared
  • Environment: 6 metrics compared
  • Geography: 6 metrics compared
  • Government: 5 metrics compared
  • Health: 11 metrics compared
  • Military and Security: 1 metric compared
  • People and Society: 30 metrics compared
  • Transportation: 4 metrics compared
  • Other: 1 metric compared

Communications

7 metrics
Metric🇰🇷 South Korea🇹🇭 ThailandShare
Internet Penetration Rate (%)97.9 %★90.87 %
Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population)97.9 %★90.87 %
Internet Userspercent of population: 97% (2023 est.)percent of population: 90% (2023 est.)
Press Freedom Index Score64.06 points★56.72 points
Radios47.5★13.96
Televisions15.9★15.19
Waterways1,6004,000★

Economy

50 metrics
Metric🇰🇷 South Korea🇹🇭 ThailandShare
Agriculture Value Added as a Share of GDP by Country30.14B $45.86B $★
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by Country in Current US Dollars1.91T $★533.67B $
AI Investment (% of GDP)29.97 %★21.58 %
Central Bank Discount Rate (%)1.5 %1.5 %
Coal Revenue00.03★
Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate (%)3.48 %4.42 %★
Current Health Expenditure (% of GDP)7.6 % of GDP★3.8 % of GDP
Ease of Doing Business Index93.4★84.6
Electricity Consumption507.6★187.7
Electricity Exports02.27★
Electricity from Fossil Fuels7076★
Electricity from Hydroelectric Plants28★
Electricity from Nuclear Fuels21★0
Electricity from Other Renewables816★
Electricity Imports019.83★
Electricity Installed Capacity111.2★44.89
Electricity Production526★181.5
Energy Consumption per Capita (USD)234.67 USD per capita★80.6 USD per capita
Gini Index Coefficient32.933.5★
Gross Fixed Investment27.428.8★
Gross National Saving36.6★34.1
Industrial Production Growth Rate (%)1.1 %★0.9 %
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)2.3 %1.4 %★
Military Expenditures (% of GDP)2.3 % of GDP★1.1 % of GDP
Natural Gas Consumption45.2852.64★
Natural Gas Exports00
Natural Gas Imports48.65★14.41
Natural Gas Production339.8★38.59
Natural Gas Proved Reserves7.08193.4★
Number of AI Patents Filed2,374 patents★1 patents
Oil Consumption2.25988,000★
Oil Exports907,100★269,100
Oil Imports3.07807,100★
Oil Production48,400406,800★
Oil Proved Reserves0435★
Population Below Poverty Line14.4 people6.3 people★
Public Debt52.3★61.1
Real GDP Growth Rate (USD)1.4 USD2.5 USD★
Refined Petroleum Products Consumption2.58★1.33
Refined Petroleum Products Exports1.4278,300★
Refined Petroleum Products Imports908,800★134,200
Refined Petroleum Products Production3.3★1.33
Remittances0.41.8★
Revenue from Forest Resources0.010.34★
Robotics Research Funding4.94 USD★0.94 USD
Share of population in poverty ($3 a day)0.250.03★
Taxes and Other Revenues15.7★15.4
Top Exporting Countries831.89B USD★368.82B USD
Unemployment Rate2.7 %0.7 %★
Youth Labor Force Participation Rate64.35 %★66.68 %

Environment

6 metrics
Metric🇰🇷 South Korea🇹🇭 ThailandShare
Annual CO₂ Emissions Growth (abs)-5.50M★3.03M
Carbon Dioxide Emissions644.23336.69★
Population Distributionthe population is primarily concentrated in the lowland areas, where density is high; Gyeonggi Province in the northwest, which surrounds the capital of Seoul and contains the port of Incheon, is the most densely populated province; Gangwon in the northeahighest population density is found in and around Bangkok; significant population clusters throughout large parts of the country, particularly north and northeast of Bangkok and in the extreme southern region of the country
Protected Land Area for Adaptation17.76 sq km18.37 sq km★
Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country13.3 Cubic meters per year41.9 Cubic meters per year★
Total Renewable Water Resources69.7438.61★

Geography

6 metrics
Metric🇰🇷 South Korea🇹🇭 ThailandShare
Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization11.86 %★5.23 %
Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha)131.69142.5★
Agricultural land15,174 sq. km243,086.8 sq. km★
Coastline Length (km)2,413 km3,219 km★
Dam capacity per capita362.21 cubic meters per inhabitant1,098 cubic meters per inhabitant★
Irrigated Land7,78064,150★

Government

5 metrics
Metric🇰🇷 South Korea🇹🇭 ThailandShare
Rule of Law Index by Country85.98 %★56.88 %
Administrative Divisions976★
Independence15123★
Political Stability Index68 index★36 index
Suffrage Participation Rate1818

Health

11 metrics
Metric🇰🇷 South Korea🇹🇭 ThailandShare
Diabetes Deaths Per 100,000 (Age-Std)9.98★19.51
Diabetes Prevalence (% of Population)9.610.2★
Health Care Spending per Capita5,766.77 USD★1,465.74 USD
Health Expenditure (% of GDP)9.7 % of GDP★5.2 % of GDP
HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence RateNA1 %
Hospital Bed Density12.8 people/sq km★2.3 people/sq km
Maternal Mortality Ratio (%)4 %★34 %
Mean Age at First Birth32.2★23.3
Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate (%)4.7 %★10 %
People Living With HIV/AIDSNA500,000
Underweight Children Under 50.4★6.7

Military and Security

1 metric
Metric🇰🇷 South Korea🇹🇭 ThailandShare
Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP)569,000★455,000

People and Society

30 metrics
Metric🇰🇷 South Korea🇹🇭 ThailandShare
Currently married (Percent)42.12 %50.17 %★
Human Capital Index0.8★0.63
Life expectancy at birth87.65 years★80.78 years
Median age of population46.18 years★41.03 years
Population Change-34,023.3 persons★-87,807.2 persons
Population density521.76 per sq. km140.16 per sq. km★
Total population51.62M persons71.57M persons★
Academic Freedom Index0.85★0.38
Average Female Breast Size by Country: Worldwide Data & RankingsAA-A★AA
Birth Rate (%)4.29 %9.82 %★
Contraceptive Prevalence Rate82.3 %★73 %
Death Rate (%)6.94 %★8.08 %
Education Expenditure (% of GDP)5.8 % of GDP★2.5 % of GDP
Female population of reproductive age10.86M persons16.94M persons★
Labor Force Participation Rate29.7140.62★
Learning-adjusted years of school11.74 years★8.95 years
Length of paid parental leave for mother365 days★0 days
Major Urban Areas Population9.99 people11.07 people★
Mean Male Height (cm)174.92★169.16
Military Manpower at Military Age1818
Military Service Age and Obligation1818
Percentage of population by degree of urbanization90.48 %★62.64 %
Physician Density2.61 people/sq km★0.54 people/sq km
Population Growth Rate-0.09 %0.13 %★
Population living in slums5.46 %★2 %
Total deaths375,161.5 persons★685,767.7 persons
Total demand for family planning (Percent)54.27 %★44.11 %
Total fertility rate0.72 per woman1.18 per woman★
Total net-migration106,057.5 persons★36,266.2 persons
Under-five mortality rate2.38 per live births★10.25 per live births

Transportation

4 metrics
Metric🇰🇷 South Korea🇹🇭 ThailandShare
Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP)1.32★1.01
Airports92105★
Civil Air Travel93★41
Heliports1,280★5

Other

1 metric
Metric🇰🇷 South Korea🇹🇭 ThailandShare
Current Bank Rate2.5 %★1.5 %

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