Land Area
China
9,596,961 km²
Largest
Thailand
513,120 km²
5.3% of largest
China is 18.70× larger than Thailand
Population
China
LARGEST
1.41B
PEOPLE
Thailand
4.9% OF LARGEST
69.8M
PEOPLE
China has 20.24× the population of Thailand
GDP
China
LARGEST
$17.96T
Thailand
3.0% OF LARGEST
$543.5B
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
China
LARGEST
2.04M
TROOPS
Thailand
17.7% OF LARGEST
360.85K
TROOPS
China has 5.64× the active personnel of Thailand
Air Force
China
LARGEST
3.29K
AIRCRAFT
Thailand
16.9% OF LARGEST
555
AIRCRAFT
China has 5.92× the aircraft of Thailand
Naval Assets
China
Thailand
Wealth
Gold Reserves
China
LARGEST
2,279.6
Metric Tonnes
Thailand
10.3% OF LARGEST
234.5
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
China
LARGEST
$3.27T
Reserves · excl. gold
Thailand
6.6% OF LARGEST
$217B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
China
MOST
473
billionaires
Thailand
—
Oil
Proven Reserves
China
LARGEST
26
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
China
NET IMPORTER
Production
4.1M b/d
Consumption
15.4M b/d
−11.3M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
China
$3,753.1B
Exports
$3,753.1B
Imports
$3,219.3B
Trade Balance
+$533.7B
Trade Surplus
Thailand
$368.8B
Exports
$368.8B
Imports
$351.2B
Trade Balance
+$17.7B
Trade Surplus
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
Thailand
supply
China
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
Thailand
supply
China
consumption
Beer
litres / person / yr
China
consumption
Thailand
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
China
consumption
Thailand
supply
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
Thailand
consumption
China
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
China
Thailand
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
China
330
Gold
262
Silver
227
Bronze
819
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 727
❄ Winter: 92
Thailand
11
Gold
11
Silver
19
Bronze
41
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 41
❄ Winter: 0
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
China
Thailand
Age Demographics
Median Age
Thailand
40.2
YEARS
10
30
50
70
China
39.0
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
Thailand is 1.2 years older (median) than China
Youth Population
China has the highest youth population at 36.5% (under 30)
Elderly Population
China has the highest elderly population at 19.0% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
China
|
Thailand
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
85
|
— |
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
65.7M
|
— |
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
8
|
— |
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
9
|
— |
Figures as of 2026. Sources: IMF, EIA/OPEC, Henley Passport Index, UNWTO, Forbes, Michelin Guide, Nobel Foundation.
Cost of Living
|
Metric
All indices use New York City as base (100)
Lower values indicate lower costs.
|
China
|
Thailand
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
|
| Rent Index |
|
|
| Groceries Index |
|
|
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
|
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $5 | $5 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $25 | $25 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $600 | $600 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $380 | $400 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $50 | $80 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $20 | $25 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $30 | $20 |
Historical Data
Basic Information
| Metric | China | Thailand |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1412600000 | 69799978 |
| Area (sq km) | 9596961 | 513120 |
| Capital | Beijing | Bangkok |
| Official Language | Mandarin Chinese | Thai |
| Currency | Renminbi (Yuan, CNY) | Thai Baht (THB) |
| Government Type | Unitary one-party socialist republic | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
Military Strength
| Metric | China | Thailand |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 2,035,000 | 360,850 |
| Reserve Personnel | 510,000 | 200,000 |
| Total Military Personnel | 2,545,000 | 560,850 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $292,000,000,000 | $7,300,000,000 |
| Tanks | 5,651 | 737 |
| Armored Vehicles | 35,000 | 2,614 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 4,120 | 24 |
| Towed Artillery | 6,246 | 426 |
| Rocket Projectors | 2,430 | 64 |
Economy
| Metric | China | Thailand |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $17,963,200,000,000 | $543,500,000,000 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $12,720 | $7,790 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 4.0% | 0.8% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 38.5 | 36.4 |
| Currency | Renminbi (Yuan, CNY) | Thai Baht (THB) |
| Direct Currency Comparison (1 unit of row currency equals X units of column currency) | ||
| China Currency | 1.00 (Same) | 0.2040 Weaker |
| Thailand Currency | 4.9010 Stronger | 1.00 (Same) |
| USD Base Exchange Rates (All calculations use USD as the base currency) | ||
| Currency | CNY | THB |
| 1 USD equals | 6.8086 CNY Updated: 2026-06-27 | 33.3687 THB Updated: 2026-06-27 |
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
China is 18.7 times larger in area than Thailand.
That's a massive difference!
China has 20.2 times more people than Thailand.
With over a billion people, that's more than 1/8 of humanity!
China has the highest GDP per capita at $12,720 among the selected countries.
China has the largest economy with a GDP of
$17.96 trillion.
China has the largest active military personnel with 2,035,000 troops.
China has the largest air force with 3,285 aircraft.
China has the largest navy with 777 vessels.
China Fact: China produces more than 1.4 billion tons of rice annually, feeding nearly 20% of the world's population.
China vs Thailand: Key Comparisons
Economy: China's GDP of $18.0T is 33.1x larger than Thailand's $544B — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: China's population of 1.4B is 20.2x larger than Thailand's 70M.
Area: China covers 9,596,961 km², making it 18.7x larger than Thailand.
Military: China fields 2Million active troops vs Thailand's 360Thousand.
Trade: China runs a trade surplus of $534B while Thailand runs a trade surplus of $18B.
Life Expectancy: Thailand leads with a life expectancy of 78 years vs China's 77.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated June 2026.
Sources & methodology