South Africa vs Thailand
South Africa vs Thailand: Learning-adjusted schooling
Learning-adjusted schooling in 2020: 5.6 years in South Africa and 8.7 years in Thailand, by World Bank estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Thailand, by 3.1 years, or 1.55 times that in South Africa.
years · World Bank
What the numbers say
- Thailand has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2010.
- In 2020, South Africa ranked 138 and Thailand ranked 66 of 174 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
years · World Bank
| Year | South Africa | Thailand |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 5.6 | 8.7 |
| 2018 | 5.6 | 8.9 |
| 2017 | 5.1 | 8.6 |
| 2010 | 6.2 | 8.5 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The years of school a child can expect by 18, cut to what students actually learn: the World Bank’s learning-adjusted years of school.
- Source: World Bank Human Capital Index, via Our World in Data.
- Ranks count the 174 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
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