Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Thailand
Thailand: Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas was 34.2% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Thailand, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Thailand is 34.2%, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 21.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Thailand peaked at 34.2% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 6.8%, in 1950.
That places Thailand 126th out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Thailand, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 6.8% | — |
| 1955 | 7.4% | +10.0% |
| 1960 | 8.1% | +9.2% |
| 1965 | 9.1% | +12.2% |
| 1970 | 10.4% | +13.7% |
| 1975 | 12.5% | +20.9% |
| 1980 | 13.5% | +8.1% |
| 1985 | 13.9% | +2.6% |
| 1990 | 15.3% | +10.1% |
| 1995 | 17.6% | +14.8% |
| 2000 | 22.1% | +25.5% |
| 2005 | 24.9% | +13.1% |
| 2010 | 28.1% | +12.5% |
| 2015 | 30.7% | +9.4% |
| 2020 | 34.2% | +11.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 7.1% | 6.8% | 7.4% | 2 |
| 1960s | 8.6% | 8.1% | 9.1% | 2 |
| 1970s | 11.5% | 10.4% | 12.5% | 2 |
| 1980s | 13.7% | 13.5% | 13.9% | 2 |
| 1990s | 16.4% | 15.3% | 17.6% | 2 |
| 2000s | 23.5% | 22.1% | 24.9% | 2 |
| 2010s | 29.4% | 28.1% | 30.7% | 2 |
| 2020s | 34.2% | 34.2% | 34.2% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Thailand
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)
- World population growth -0.7% (2100)
- Population density 89.17 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 1.67 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Thailand?
- Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Thailand was 34.2% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Thailand?
- The highest recorded value was 34.2% in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Thailand?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.8% in 1950.
- How does Thailand rank for share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas?
- Thailand ranks 126th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas rising or falling in Thailand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Thailand data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimated share of the population living in cities. Cities are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.