Rural population in Thailand
Thailand: Rural population was 45.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
45.7%
Change on year
down 1.5%
World rank
76th
of 214 countries
All-time high
79.1%
in 1970
All-time low
45.7%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Thailand, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
Thailand recorded 45.7% for rural population in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.5% on the previous year and down 13.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Thailand peaked at 79.1% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 45.7%, in 2024.
That places Thailand 76th out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population in Thailand, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 79.1% | — |
| 1971 | 78.6% | -0.7% |
| 1972 | 78.0% | -0.7% |
| 1973 | 77.4% | -0.7% |
| 1974 | 76.8% | -0.8% |
| 1975 | 76.2% | -0.8% |
| 1976 | 75.6% | -0.8% |
| 1977 | 75.0% | -0.8% |
| 1978 | 74.4% | -0.8% |
| 1979 | 73.8% | -0.9% |
| 1980 | 73.2% | -0.7% |
| 1981 | 73.0% | -0.4% |
| 1982 | 72.7% | -0.4% |
| 1983 | 72.4% | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 72.2% | -0.4% |
| 1985 | 71.9% | -0.4% |
| 1986 | 71.6% | -0.4% |
| 1987 | 71.4% | -0.4% |
| 1988 | 71.1% | -0.4% |
| 1989 | 70.8% | -0.4% |
| 1990 | 70.6% | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 70.4% | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 70.2% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 70.1% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 69.9% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 69.7% | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 69.6% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 69.4% | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 69.2% | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 69.0% | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 68.6% | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 67.5% | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 66.3% | -1.8% |
| 2003 | 65.1% | -1.8% |
| 2004 | 63.8% | -1.9% |
| 2005 | 62.6% | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 61.3% | -2.0% |
| 2007 | 60.0% | -2.1% |
| 2008 | 58.8% | -2.2% |
| 2009 | 57.5% | -2.2% |
| 2010 | 56.1% | -2.3% |
| 2011 | 55.3% | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 54.6% | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 53.8% | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 53.1% | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 52.3% | -1.4% |
| 2016 | 51.6% | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 50.8% | -1.5% |
| 2018 | 50.1% | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 49.3% | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 48.6% | -1.5% |
| 2021 | 47.8% | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 47.1% | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 46.4% | -1.5% |
| 2024 | 45.7% | -1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 76.5% | 73.8% | 79.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 72.0% | 70.8% | 73.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 69.8% | 69.0% | 70.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 63.1% | 57.5% | 68.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 52.7% | 49.3% | 56.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 47.1% | 45.7% | 48.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Thailand
- 73 Isle of Man 46.3% compare
- 74 Liberia 45.9% compare
- 75 Slovakia 45.8% compare
- 77 Turkmenistan 45.5% compare
- 78 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 45.3% compare
- 79 Romania 45.1% compare
More population data for Thailand
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.7473 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -1.57 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.7473 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.8771 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 67,880 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population -0.0154 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.4671 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.749 (2100)
- Population density 89.17 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 1.67 million (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Thailand?
- Rural population in Thailand was 45.7% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Thailand?
- The highest recorded value was 79.1% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Thailand?
- The lowest recorded value was 45.7% in 2024.
- How does Thailand rank for rural population?
- Thailand ranks 76th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Thailand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Thailand data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release