Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United Arab Emirates instead of Thailand, you would:
Health
live 6.5 years longer
In Thailand, the average life expectancy is 77 years (72 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 83 years (82 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.
see 3.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Thailand spends $1,067 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United Arab Emirates spends $3,727 as of 2023.
have 5.5 times more doctors per person
Thailand has 5.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. United Arab Emirates has 29.9 as of 2023.
be 89.7% less likely to die by suicide
Thailand has a suicide rate of 16.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United Arab Emirates, it is 1.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 93.2% more likely to be obese
In Thailand, 16.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 31.6% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 6.2 times more money
Thailand has a GDP per capita of $8,057 as of 2025, while in United Arab Emirates, the GDP per capita is $50,274 as of 2024.
be 2.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In Thailand, 0.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 2.2% as of 2025.
Life
be 91.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Thailand, approximately 34.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In United Arab Emirates, 3.0 women do as of 2023.
be 50.6% less likely to die during infancy
In Thailand, approximately 7.7 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, on the other hand, 3.8 children do as of 2024.
have 20.9% more children
In Thailand, there are approximately 8.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, there are 9.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 10.0% more likely to have internet access
In Thailand, approximately 90.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, about 100.0% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 54.4% more on education
Thailand spends 2.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. United Arab Emirates spends 3.9% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
Geography
see 59.1% less coastline
Thailand has a total of 3,219 km of coastline. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 1,318 km.
Safety
be 76.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In Thailand, road accidents kill 25.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United Arab Emirates, they kill 5.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.7 times more home broadband
Thailand has 14.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United Arab Emirates has 40.8 as of 2024.
use 5.2 times more electricity
Thailand uses 2,965 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United Arab Emirates uses 15,285 kWh as of 2023.
live with 65.6 times more strain on fresh water
Thailand withdraws 23% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United Arab Emirates withdraws 1510% as of 2022.
Environment
be 2.4 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Thailand, air pollution causes 29.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United Arab Emirates, it causes 70.0 as of 2019.
emit 4.6 times more CO2
Thailand emits 4.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United Arab Emirates emits 18.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Thailand vs. United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: At a glance
How big is United Arab Emirates compared to Thailand? See an in-depth size comparison.