South Africa vs Thailand
South Africa vs Thailand: Internet users
Internet users in 2024: 78.4% in South Africa and 90.9% in Thailand, by ITU estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Thailand, by 12.5 percentage points, or 1.16 times that in South Africa.
% of people · ITU
What the numbers say
- Thailand has been higher since 2020, when it overtook South Africa.
- In 2024, South Africa ranked 102 and Thailand ranked 52 of 182 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 71.2% in 2024.
Every year
% of people · ITU
| Year | South Africa | Thailand | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | – | – | 73.6 |
| 2024 | 78.4 | 90.9 | 71.2 |
| 2023 | 78.3 | 89.5 | 69.2 |
| 2022 | 78.3 | 88 | 67 |
| 2021 | 75 | 85.3 | 63.8 |
| 2020 | 72.1 | 77.8 | 60.1 |
| 2019 | 69.7 | 66.7 | 53.9 |
| 2018 | 62.4 | 56.8 | 49.4 |
| 2017 | 56.2 | 52.9 | 46.3 |
| 2016 | 54 | 47.5 | 43.6 |
| 2015 | 51.9 | 39.3 | 39.9 |
| 2014 | 49 | 34.9 | 37.4 |
| 2013 | 46.5 | 28.9 | 35.3 |
| 2012 | 41 | 26.5 | 33.3 |
| 2011 | 34 | 23.7 | 30.9 |
| 2010 | 24 | 22.4 | 28.4 |
| 2009 | 10 | 20.1 | 25.3 |
| 2008 | 8.4 | 18.2 | 22.8 |
| 2007 | 8.1 | 20 | 20.2 |
| 2006 | 7.6 | 17.2 | 17.2 |
| 2005 | 7.5 | 15 | 15.6 |
| 2004 | 8.4 | 10.7 | – |
| 2003 | 7 | 9.3 | – |
| 2002 | 6.7 | 7.5 | – |
| 2001 | 6.3 | 5.6 | – |
| 2000 | 5.3 | 3.7 | – |
| 1999 | 4.1 | 2.4 | – |
| 1998 | 2.9 | 1.1 | – |
| 1997 | 1.6 | 0.4 | – |
| 1996 | 0.8 | 0.1 | – |
| 1995 | 0.7 | 0.1 | – |
| 1994 | 0.2 | 0 | – |
| 1993 | 0.1 | 0 | – |
| 1992 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990 | 0 | 0 | – |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people who used the internet in the last three months, from anywhere.
- Source: ITU, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 182 countries with a value in 2024, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
South Africa vs Thailand
Health
- Life expectancySouth Africa: 66.1 years in 2023Thailand: 76.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024Thailand: 0.9 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Thailand: 6.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSouth Africa: 3.75% in 2017Thailand: 3.09% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Thailand: 10.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023Thailand: 71.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023Thailand: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023Thailand: 1.21 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSouth Africa: 63.8% in 2025Thailand: 62.8% in 2025
- Median ageSouth Africa: 28.2 years in 2023Thailand: 39.7 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Africa: 6.5% in 2023Thailand: 14.7% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Thailand: 0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025Thailand: 1.04% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Africa: $3B in 2025Thailand: $5.57B in 2025
- Military spending per personSouth Africa: $49 in 2025Thailand: $84 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSouth Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025Thailand: 4.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSouth Africa: 89,000 people in 2020Thailand: 455,000 people in 2020
- National powerSouth Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022Thailand: 0.79% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020Thailand: 1.13% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSouth Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025Thailand: 33 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSouth Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025Thailand: 15 million TIV in 2024