Saudi Arabia vs Thailand

Every indicator for Saudi Arabia and Thailand side by side, with the percentage gap between them. Sources are listed at the bottom of the page.

Indicator comparison
IndicatorSaudi ArabiaThailandDifference
Population (2025) (people)36,973,55571,619,863−48.4%
GDP (nominal) (billion $)1,277577+121.3%
GDP per capita ($)34,5378,057+328.7%
Life expectancy (years)79.076.6—
Area (km²)2,149,690513,115+318.9%
Population density (people/km²)17140−87.7%
Median age (years)30.840.5—
Internet usage (%)100.090.9—
Unemployment rate (%)3.00.8—
Inflation (%)2.1-0.1—
Urban population (%)84.662.8—
Military expenditure (2024) (million $)80,3315,522+1,354.7%
Military expenditure as a share of GDP (%)7.301.08+575.9%
Military expenditure as a share of government spending (%)22.314.54+391.4%
Military expenditure per capita ($)2,17377+2,717.9%
Armed forces personnel (2020) (people)282,000455,000−38.0%
Armed forces per 1,000 people (people)7.66.4+20.1%
Armed forces as a share of the labor force (%)1.921.13+69.9%

The difference column shows the percentage gap of Saudi Arabia relative to Thailand; a positive value favors Saudi Arabia. Interpret it in context — for unemployment, a lower value is better.

At a glance

Saudi Arabia is higher on 9 of the 12 indicators, while Thailand leads on the remaining 3. The widest separation is in military expenditure per capita, about 28 times; they are closest on armed forces per 1,000 people.

Key differences

  • Military expenditure per capita shows the widest gap of all: Saudi Arabia stands at 2,173 against Thailand's 77 — roughly 28 times as much.
  • Military expenditure (2024) shows the widest gap of all: Saudi Arabia stands at 80,331 against Thailand's 5,522 — roughly 15 times as much.
  • Thailand's population density (140) is about 8.1 times Saudi Arabia's (17).
  • Saudi Arabia's military expenditure as a share of gdp (7.30) is about 6.8 times Thailand's (1.08).
  • Saudi Arabia's military expenditure as a share of government spending (22.31) is about 4.9 times Thailand's (4.54).

Frequently asked questions

Where do Saudi Arabia and Thailand differ most?
In military expenditure per capita. Saudi Arabia records 2,173 against Thailand's 77 — a ratio of roughly 28 to one.
Where are Saudi Arabia and Thailand most alike?
In armed forces per 1,000 people, at 7.6 and 6.4 — a gap of only %20.
On how many indicators is Saudi Arabia ahead of Thailand?
Saudi Arabia is higher on 9 of the 12 ratio-scale indicators and Thailand on 3. A higher number is not automatically better, though — population density, for instance, is a characteristic rather than an advantage.
Saudi Arabia and Thailand — core indicators
020 M40 M60 M80 MPopulation (2025)GDP (nominal)GDP per capitaAreaPopulation (2025) — Saudi Arabia: 36,973,555GDP (nominal) — Saudi Arabia: 1,277GDP per capita — Saudi Arabia: 34,537Area — Saudi Arabia: 2,149,690Population (2025) — Thailand: 71,619,863GDP (nominal) — Thailand: 577GDP per capita — Thailand: 8,057Area — Thailand: 513,115
Saudi ArabiaThailand

The indicators use different scales, so the chart is a rough visual comparison only; use the table for exact figures.

Other comparisons involving Saudi Arabia or Thailand.

Data sourcesUN World Population Prospects, IMF, World Bank, SIPRI