Thailand vs Viet Nam: population pyramids in 1978
ThailandViet Nam
Each bar is the share of the total population at that single year of age (men left, women right), so countries of different sizes can be compared.
Thailand and Viet Nam compared
In 1978, Thailand has a population of 43.3 million and Viet Nam 49.6 million; Viet Nam is about 1.1 times the size of Thailand.
The share aged 65 and over is 3.2% in Thailand and 5.3% in Viet Nam, 2.1 points higher in Viet Nam. The median age is 19.0 years in Thailand and 19.0 years in Viet Nam.
The total fertility rate is 3.62 in Thailand and 5.10 in Viet Nam, both above the replacement level of about 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 61.3 years in Thailand and 64.5 years in Viet Nam.
By 2050, the population of Thailand is projected to grow by 53.5% and that of Viet Nam to grow by 121.7% compared with 1978.
GDP per person is $8,057 in Thailand (2025) and $5,066 in Viet Nam (2025).
Key figures (1978)
| Thailand | Viet Nam | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 43.3 million | 49.6 million |
| Aged 0–14 | 40.8% | 40.8% |
| Aged 15–64 | 56.1% | 54.0% |
| Aged 65+ | 3.2% | 5.3% |
| Median age | 19.0 yrs | 19.0 yrs |
| Old-age dependency | 5.7 | 9.7 |
| Total fertility rate | 3.62 | 5.10 |
| Life expectancy | 61.3 yrs | 64.5 yrs |
| Population growth | +2.12% | +2.55% |
| Net migration (per year) | +82,011 | -6,592 |
| GDP | $577B (2025) | $515B (2025) |
| GDP per person | $8,057 (2025) | $5,066 (2025) |
| Unemployment | 0.8% (2025) | 1.5% (2025) |
Economic figures are the latest year published for each country.