South Korea vs Thailand: Urban and rural population
South Korea
41.94 million
in 2025
Thailand
44.98 million
in 2025
South Korea rank
23rd
Thailand rank
20th
Urban and rural population over time
- South Korea
- Thailand
How they compare
Thailand currently reports 44.98 million against 41.94 million in South Korea, a difference of 3.04 million.
That makes Thailand's figure about 1.1 times South Korea's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 76 shared years of data; in 1950 it was South Korea ahead.
South Korea ranks 23rd and Thailand ranks 20th of 236 countries.
Across the 8 decades both report, South Korea averaged higher in 7 and Thailand in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | Thailand | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 5.31 million | 2.56 million | 2.75 million | South Korea |
| 1960s | 9.38 million | 3.83 million | 5.54 million | South Korea |
| 1970s | 16.89 million | 6.10 million | 10.79 million | South Korea |
| 1980s | 26.33 million | 8.86 million | 17.47 million | South Korea |
| 1990s | 35.11 million | 14.05 million | 21.06 million | South Korea |
| 2000s | 38.66 million | 24.60 million | 14.06 million | South Korea |
| 2010s | 41.27 million | 33.82 million | 7.45 million | South Korea |
| 2020s | 42.02 million | 43.14 million | 1.12 million | Thailand |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher urban and rural population, South Korea or Thailand?
- Thailand, at 44.98 million against 41.94 million in South Korea as of 2025.
- What is the difference in urban and rural population between South Korea and Thailand?
- 3.04 million, with Thailand ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and Thailand?
- 76 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2025.
- How do South Korea and Thailand rank globally for urban and rural population?
- South Korea ranks 23rd and Thailand ranks 20th of 236 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Urban and rural population. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.