Home

Thailand vs. Burma

Demographics

ThailandBurma
Population69,480,520 (July 2021 est.)57,069,099 (July 2021 est.)
Age structure0-14 years: 16.45% (male 5,812,803/female 5,533,772)

15-24 years: 13.02% (male 4,581,622/female 4,400,997)

25-54 years: 45.69% (male 15,643,583/female 15,875,353)

55-64 years: 13.01% (male 4,200,077/female 4,774,801)

65 years and over: 11.82% (male 3,553,273/female 4,601,119) (2020 est.)
0-14 years: 25.97% (male 7,524,869/female 7,173,333)

15-24 years: 17% (male 4,852,122/female 4,769,412)

25-54 years: 42.76% (male 11,861,971/female 12,337,482)

55-64 years: 8.22% (male 2,179,616/female 2,472,681)

65 years and over: 6.04% (male 1,489,807/female 1,928,778) (2020 est.)
Median agetotal: 39 years

male: 37.8 years

female: 40.1 years (2020 est.)
total: 29.2 years

male: 28.3 years

female: 30 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate0.26% (2021 est.)0.81% (2021 est.)
Birth rate10.25 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)16.65 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Death rate7.66 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)7.14 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Net migration rate-0.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)-1.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Sex ratioat birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.99 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.88 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female

total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.96 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.88 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female

total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Infant mortality ratetotal: 6.58 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 7.2 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 5.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
total: 33.71 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 37.04 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 30.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
Life expectancy at birthtotal population: 77.41 years

male: 74.39 years

female: 80.6 years (2021 est.)
total population: 69.62 years

male: 67.96 years

female: 71.39 years (2021 est.)
Total fertility rate1.54 children born/woman (2021 est.)2.05 children born/woman (2021 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate1% (2020 est.)0.6% (2019 est.)
Nationalitynoun: Thai (singular and plural)

adjective: Thai
noun: Burmese (singular and plural)

adjective: Burmese
Ethnic groupsThai 97.5%, Burmese 1.3%, other 1.1%, unspecified <.1% (2015 est.)

note: data represent population by nationality
Burman (Bamar) 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Indian 2%, Mon 2%, other 5%

note: government recognizes 135 indigenous ethnic groups
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS500,000 (2020 est.)240,000 (2019 est.)
ReligionsBuddhist 94.6%, Muslim 4.3%, Christian 1%, other <0.1%, none <0.1% (2015 est.)Buddhist 87.9%, Christian 6.2%, Muslim 4.3%, Animist 0.8%, Hindu 0.5%, other 0.2%, none 0.1% (2014 est.)

note: religion estimate is based on the 2014 national census, including an estimate for the non-enumerated population of Rakhine State, which is assumed to mainly affiliate with the Islamic faith; as of December 2019, Muslims probably make up less than 3% of Burma's total population due to the large outmigration of the Rohingya population since 2017
HIV/AIDS - deaths12,000 (2020 est.)7,700 (2019 est.)
LanguagesThai (official) only 90.7%, Thai and other languages 6.4%, only other languages 2.9% (includes Malay, Burmese); note - data represent population by language(s) spoken at home; English is a secondary language of the elite (2010 est.)

major-language sample(s):
???????????? - ?????????????????????????? (Thai)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Burmese (official)

major-language sample(s):
?????????????????????- ??????????????????????? ???????????? ?????????? (Burmese)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

note: minority ethnic groups use their own languages
Literacydefinition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 92.9%

male: 94.7%

female: 91.2% (2015)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 75.6%

male: 80%

female: 71.8% (2016)
Major infectious diseasesdegree of risk: very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea

vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria
degree of risk: very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis

animal contact diseases: rabies
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)total: 15 years

male: 15 years

female: 16 years (2016)
total: 11 years

male: 11 years

female: 11 years (2018)
Education expenditures4.1% of GDP (2013)1.9% of GDP (2019)
Urbanizationurban population: 52.2% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 1.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
urban population: 31.4% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 1.85% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Drinking water sourceimproved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 93% of population

rural: 76.9% of population

total: 81.8% of population

unimproved: urban: 7% of population

rural: 23.1% of population

total: 18.2% of population (2017 est.)
Sanitation facility accessimproved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 99.9% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0.1% of population (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 87.6% of population

rural: 67.6% of population

total: 73.7% of population

unimproved: urban: 12.4% of population

rural: 32.4% of population

total: 26.3% of population (2017 est.)
Major cities - population10.723 million BANGKOK (capital), 1.417 Chon Buri, 1.324 million Samut Prakan, 1.182 million Chiang Mai, 979,000 Songkla, 975,000 Nothaburi (2021)5.422 million RANGOON (Yangon) (capital), 1.469 million Mandalay (2021)
Maternal mortality rate37 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)250 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight7.7% (2019)19.1% (2017/18)
Health expenditures3.8% (2018)4.8% (2018)
Physicians density0.81 physicians/1,000 population (2018)0.68 physicians/1,000 population (2018)
Hospital bed density2.1 beds/1,000 population (2010)1 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate10% (2016)5.8% (2016)
Mother's mean age at first birth23.3 years (2009 est.)24.7 years (2015/16 est.)

note: median age at first birth among women 25-49
Demographic profile

Thailand has experienced a substantial fertility decline since the 1960s largely due to the nationwide success of its voluntary family planning program.  In just one generation, the total fertility rate (TFR) shrank from 6.5 children per woman in 1960s to below the replacement level of 2.1 in the late 1980s.  Reduced fertility occurred among all segments of the Thai population, despite disparities between urban and rural areas in terms of income, education, and access to public services.  The country's "reproductive revolution" gained momentum in the 1970s as a result of the government's launch of an official population policy to reduce population growth, the introduction of new forms of birth control, and the assistance of foreign non-government organizations.  Contraceptive use rapidly increased as new ways were developed to deliver family planning services to Thailand's then overwhelmingly rural population.  The contraceptive prevalence rate increased from just 14% in 1970 to 58% in 1981 and has remained about 80% since 2000. 

Thailand's receptiveness to family planning reflects the predominant faith, Theravada Buddhism, which emphasizes individualism, personal responsibility, and independent decision-making.  Thai women have more independence and a higher status than women in many other developing countries and are not usually pressured by their husbands or other family members about family planning decisions.  Thailand's relatively egalitarian society also does not have the son preference found in a number of other Asian countries; most Thai ideally want one child of each sex.

Because of its low fertility rate, increasing life expectancy, and growing elderly population, Thailand has become an aging society that will face growing labor shortages.  The proportion of the population under 15 years of age has shrunk dramatically, the proportion of working-age individuals has peaked and is starting to decrease, and the proportion of elderly is growing rapidly.  In the short-term, Thailand will have to improve educational quality to increase the productivity of its workforce and to compete globally in skills-based industries.  An increasing reliance on migrant workers will be necessary to mitigate labor shortfalls.

Thailand is a destination, transit, and source country for migrants. It has 3-4 million migrant workers as of 2017, mainly providing low-skilled labor in the construction, agriculture, manufacturing, services, and fishing and seafood processing sectors.  Migrant workers from other Southeast Asian countries with lower wages - primarily Burma and, to a lesser extent, Laos and Cambodia - have been coming to Thailand for decades to work in labor-intensive industries.  Many are undocumented and are vulnerable to human trafficking for forced labor, especially in the fisheries industry, or sexual exploitation.  A July 2017 migrant worker law stiffening fines on undocumented workers and their employers, prompted tens of thousands of migrants to go home.  Fearing a labor shortage, the Thai Government has postponed implementation of the law until January 2018 and is rapidly registering workers.  Thailand has also hosted ethnic minority refugees from Burma for more than 30 years; as of 2016, approximately 105,000 mainly Karen refugees from Burma were living in nine camps along the Thailand-Burma border.

Thailand has a significant amount of internal migration, most often from rural areas to urban centers, where there are more job opportunities.  Low- and semi-skilled Thais also go abroad to work, mainly in Asia and a smaller number in the Middle East and Africa, primarily to more economically developed countries where they can earn higher wages.

Burma's 2014 national census - the first in more than 30 years - revealed that the country's total population is approximately 51.5 million, significantly lower than the Burmese Government's prior estimate of 61 million.  The Burmese Government assumed that the 2% population growth rate between 1973 and 1983 remained constant and that emigration was zero, ignoring later sample surveys showing declining fertility rates and substantial labor migration abroad in recent decades.  These factors reduced the estimated average annual growth rate between 2003 and 2014 to about .9%.  Among Southeast Asian countries, Burma's life expectancy is among the lowest and its infant and maternal mortality rates are among the highest.  The large difference in life expectancy between women and men has resulted in older age cohorts consisting of far more women than men.

Burma's demographic transition began in the 1950s, when mortality rates began to drop.  Fertility did not start to decrease until the 1960s, sustaining high population growth until the decline accelerated in the 1980s.  The birth rate has held fairly steady from 2000 until today.  Since the 1970s, the total fertility rate (TFR) has fallen more than 60%, from almost 6 children per woman to 2.2 in 2016.  The reduced TFR is largely a result of women marrying later and more women never marrying, both being associated with greater educational attainment and labor force participation among women.  TFR, however, varies regionally, between urban and rural areas, by educational attainment, and among ethnic groups, with fertility lowest in urban areas (where it is below replacement level).

The shift in Burma's age structure has been slow (45% of the population is still under 25 years of age) and uneven among its socioeconomic groups.  Any economic boost from the growth of the working-age population is likely to take longer to develop, to have a smaller impact, and to be distributed unequally.  Rural poverty and unemployment continue to drive high levels of internal and international migration.  The majority of labor migration is internal, mainly from rural to urban areas.  The new government's growing regional integration, reforms, and improved diplomatic relations are increasing the pace of international migration and destination choices.  As many as 4-5 million Burmese, mostly from rural areas and several ethnic groups, have taken up unskilled jobs abroad in agriculture, fishing, manufacturing, and domestic service.  Thailand is the most common destination, hosting about 70% of Burma's international migrants, followed by Malaysia, China, and Singapore. 

Burma is a patchwork of more than 130 religious and ethnic groups, distinguishing it as one of the most diverse countries in the region.  Ethnic minorities face substantial discrimination, and the Rohingya, the largest Muslim group, are arguably the most persecuted population in the country.  The Burmese Government and the Buddhist majority see the Rohingya as a threat to identity, competitors for jobs and resources, terrorists, and some still resent them for their alliance with Burma's British colonizers during its 19th century.  Since at least the 1960s, they have been subjected to systematic human rights abuses, violence, marginalization, and disenfranchisement, which authorities continue to deny.  Despite living in Burma for centuries, many Burmese see the Rohingya as illegal Bengali immigrants and refer to them Bengalis.  As a result, the Rohingya have been classified as foreign residents and stripped of their citizenship, rendering them one of the largest stateless populations in the world.  

Hundreds of thousands of Burmese from various ethnic groups have been internally displaced (an estimated 644,000 as of year-end 2016) or have fled to neighboring countries over the decades because of persecution, armed conflict, rural development projects, drought, and natural disasters.  Bangladesh has absorbed the most refugees from Burma, with an estimated 33,000 officially recognized and 200,000 to 500,000 unrecognized Rohingya refugees, as of 2016.  An escalation in violation has caused a surge in the inflow of Rohingya refugees since late August 2017, raising the number to an estimated 870,000.  As of June 2017, another approximately 132,500 refugees, largely Rohingya and Chin, were living in Malaysia, and more than 100,000, mostly Karen, were housed in camps along the Burma-Thailand border. 

Contraceptive prevalence rate73% (2019)52.2% (2015/16)
Dependency ratiostotal dependency ratio: 41.9

youth dependency ratio: 23.5

elderly dependency ratio: 18.4

potential support ratio: 5.4 (2020 est.)
total dependency ratio: 46.5

youth dependency ratio: 37.3

elderly dependency ratio: 9.1

potential support ratio: 10.9 (2020 est.)

Source: CIA Factbook