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Demographics of Thailand
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Demographics of Thailand
The demographics of Thailand paint a statistical portrait of the national population. Demography includes such measures as population density and distribution, ethnicity, educational levels, public health metrics, fertility, economic status, religious affiliation, and other characteristics of the populace.
The population of Thailand was 65.95 million on 8 January 2025 as per the Department of Provincial Administration. There were 64,953,661 Thai nationals and 997,549 non-Thai residents. Thailand's population is mainly rural: concentrated in the rice growing areas of the central, Isan, and northern regions. In 2010, the urban population—principally in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region —was 45.7 percent of the total population according to the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB). Accurate statistics are difficult to arrive at, as millions of Thai migrate from rural areas to cities, then return to their place of origin to help with seasonal field work. Officially they have rural residency, but spend most of the year in urban areas.[citation needed]
Thailand's successful government-sponsored family planning program has resulted in a decline in population growth from 3.1 percent in 1960 to around 0.4 percent in 2015. The World Bank forecasts a contraction of the working-age population of about 10 percent between 2010 and 2040. In 1970, an average of 5.7 people lived in a Thai household. At the time of the 2010 census, the figure was down to 3.2. Even though Thailand has one of the better social security systems in Asia, the increasing population of elderly people is a challenge for the country.
Life expectancy has risen, a reflection of Thailand's efforts to implement effective public health policies. The Thai AIDS epidemic had a major impact on the Thai population. In 2022, over 500,000 Thai were HIV or AIDS positive, approximately 1.1% of adult men and 0.9% of adult women. Every year, 30,000–50,000 Thai die from HIV or AIDS-related illnesses. Ninety percent of them are ages 20–24, the youngest range of the workforce. An aggressive public education campaign begun in the early-1990s reduced the number of new HIV infections from 150,000 to under 10,000 annually. The leading cause of death among the age cohort under 15 years of age: drowning. A study by the Child Safety Promotion and Injury Prevention Centre of Ramathibodi Hospital revealed that more than 1,400 youths under 15 years old died from drowning each year, or an average four deaths a day, becoming the top cause of deaths of children, even exceeding that of motorbike deaths. Thailand's Disease Control Department estimates that only 23 percent of Thai children under 15 can swim. The Public Health Ministry said that from 2006 to 2015, 10,923 children drowned. Of the 8.3 million children aged 5–14 nationwide, only two million can swim, according to the Public Health Ministry.
The United Nations classifies Thailand as an "aging society" (one-tenth of the population above 60), on track to become an "aged society" (one-fifth of the population above 60) by 2025. The Fiscal Policy Office projects that the number of Thais aged 60-plus will increase from 14 percent in 2016 to 17.5 percent in 2020, 21.2 percent in 2025, and 25.2 percent in 2030. As of 2016[update] it is estimated that there are 94,000 employees aged 60 years or more in the workforce.
Although the UN classifies the birth and death registration of the National Statistics Office as incomplete the figures below clearly show the decreasing fertility in Thailand since the end of the 1950s. As of 2024 natural growth in Thailand is negative, which means that the number of deaths exceeds the number of births.
1 CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000); CDR = crude death rate (per 1000); NC = natural change (per 1000); TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman); IMR = infant mortality rate per 1000 births. Sources:
Figures highlighted in yellow are projections.
Thailand's population declined by 100,000 to 65.95 million in 2024. The historic demographic shift of 2024 occurred when the annual births fell below 500,000 for the first time since 1949. In 2024, 462,240 births versus 571,646 deaths were recorded. Thailand's total fertility rate (TFR) declined to 1.0, which is lower than Japan's 1.2. This makes Thailand an ultra-low fertility country like South Korea and Singapore. The Department of Provincial Administration reported that in 2025 Thailand had only 416,514 births (lowest in 75 years), while deaths reached 559,684. 2.1 children per woman is required to maintain a stable population.
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Demographics of Thailand
The demographics of Thailand paint a statistical portrait of the national population. Demography includes such measures as population density and distribution, ethnicity, educational levels, public health metrics, fertility, economic status, religious affiliation, and other characteristics of the populace.
The population of Thailand was 65.95 million on 8 January 2025 as per the Department of Provincial Administration. There were 64,953,661 Thai nationals and 997,549 non-Thai residents. Thailand's population is mainly rural: concentrated in the rice growing areas of the central, Isan, and northern regions. In 2010, the urban population—principally in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region —was 45.7 percent of the total population according to the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB). Accurate statistics are difficult to arrive at, as millions of Thai migrate from rural areas to cities, then return to their place of origin to help with seasonal field work. Officially they have rural residency, but spend most of the year in urban areas.[citation needed]
Thailand's successful government-sponsored family planning program has resulted in a decline in population growth from 3.1 percent in 1960 to around 0.4 percent in 2015. The World Bank forecasts a contraction of the working-age population of about 10 percent between 2010 and 2040. In 1970, an average of 5.7 people lived in a Thai household. At the time of the 2010 census, the figure was down to 3.2. Even though Thailand has one of the better social security systems in Asia, the increasing population of elderly people is a challenge for the country.
Life expectancy has risen, a reflection of Thailand's efforts to implement effective public health policies. The Thai AIDS epidemic had a major impact on the Thai population. In 2022, over 500,000 Thai were HIV or AIDS positive, approximately 1.1% of adult men and 0.9% of adult women. Every year, 30,000–50,000 Thai die from HIV or AIDS-related illnesses. Ninety percent of them are ages 20–24, the youngest range of the workforce. An aggressive public education campaign begun in the early-1990s reduced the number of new HIV infections from 150,000 to under 10,000 annually. The leading cause of death among the age cohort under 15 years of age: drowning. A study by the Child Safety Promotion and Injury Prevention Centre of Ramathibodi Hospital revealed that more than 1,400 youths under 15 years old died from drowning each year, or an average four deaths a day, becoming the top cause of deaths of children, even exceeding that of motorbike deaths. Thailand's Disease Control Department estimates that only 23 percent of Thai children under 15 can swim. The Public Health Ministry said that from 2006 to 2015, 10,923 children drowned. Of the 8.3 million children aged 5–14 nationwide, only two million can swim, according to the Public Health Ministry.
The United Nations classifies Thailand as an "aging society" (one-tenth of the population above 60), on track to become an "aged society" (one-fifth of the population above 60) by 2025. The Fiscal Policy Office projects that the number of Thais aged 60-plus will increase from 14 percent in 2016 to 17.5 percent in 2020, 21.2 percent in 2025, and 25.2 percent in 2030. As of 2016[update] it is estimated that there are 94,000 employees aged 60 years or more in the workforce.
Although the UN classifies the birth and death registration of the National Statistics Office as incomplete the figures below clearly show the decreasing fertility in Thailand since the end of the 1950s. As of 2024 natural growth in Thailand is negative, which means that the number of deaths exceeds the number of births.
1 CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000); CDR = crude death rate (per 1000); NC = natural change (per 1000); TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman); IMR = infant mortality rate per 1000 births. Sources:
Figures highlighted in yellow are projections.
Thailand's population declined by 100,000 to 65.95 million in 2024. The historic demographic shift of 2024 occurred when the annual births fell below 500,000 for the first time since 1949. In 2024, 462,240 births versus 571,646 deaths were recorded. Thailand's total fertility rate (TFR) declined to 1.0, which is lower than Japan's 1.2. This makes Thailand an ultra-low fertility country like South Korea and Singapore. The Department of Provincial Administration reported that in 2025 Thailand had only 416,514 births (lowest in 75 years), while deaths reached 559,684. 2.1 children per woman is required to maintain a stable population.
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