Viet Nam vs Thailand: population pyramids in 1979
Viet NamThailand
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.
Viet Nam and Thailand compared
In 1979, Viet Nam has a population of 50.9 million and Thailand 44.3 million; Viet Nam is about 1.1 times the size of Thailand.
The share aged 65 and over is 5.3% in Viet Nam and 3.2% in Thailand, 2.1 points higher in Viet Nam. The median age is 19.2 years in Viet Nam and 19.3 years in Thailand.
The total fertility rate is 4.94 in Viet Nam and 3.45 in Thailand, both above the replacement level of about 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 65.0 years in Viet Nam and 61.7 years in Thailand.
By 2050, the population of Viet Nam is projected to grow by 116.2% and that of Thailand to grow by 50.3% compared with 1979.
GDP per person is $5,066 in Viet Nam (2025) and $8,057 in Thailand (2025).
Key figures (1979)
| Viet Nam | Thailand | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 50.9 million | 44.3 million |
| Aged 0–14 | 40.4% | 39.9% |
| Aged 15–64 | 54.3% | 56.8% |
| Aged 65+ | 5.3% | 3.2% |
| Median age | 19.2 yrs | 19.3 yrs |
| Old-age dependency | 9.7 | 5.7 |
| Total fertility rate | 4.94 | 3.45 |
| Life expectancy | 65.0 yrs | 61.7 yrs |
| Population growth | +1.90% | +2.08% |
| Net migration (per year) | -337,597 | +85,693 |
| GDP | $515B (2025) | $577B (2025) |
| GDP per person | $5,066 (2025) | $8,057 (2025) |
| Unemployment | 1.5% (2025) | 0.8% (2025) |
Economic figures are the latest year published for each country.