Latest full year
Estimated62.8%
+0.9 points vs 2024 (61.9%)
- Period
- 2025
- Source
- Source: World Bank
Population statistics
Thailand Urban Population
62.8% of Thailand's population lived in urban areas in 2025, according to World Bank estimates.
- Data through
- 2025
- Published
- Updated
- Source retrieved
Trend
Includes provisional or estimated values; the table shows each value’s status. Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators.
What the figures show
In 1960 the urban share was 11.8%, and in 1990 it was 18.8%. It then rose quickly, to 31.5% in 2000 and 62.8% in 2025. Part of the jump reflects reclassification rather than migration: in 1999 Thailand converted its sanitary districts into municipalities, which moved many small towns into the urban definition. Thailand's urban population is concentrated in Greater Bangkok, which is many times larger than any other city.
About this data
The World Bank figure (indicator SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS) uses each country's own definition of urban areas, drawn from the UN World Urbanization Prospects. In Thailand, urban areas are broadly the municipal areas (thesaban); people living in dense settlements outside municipal boundaries are counted as rural. Because definitions differ between countries and can change, the level is best compared over time within Thailand rather than between countries. Figures are estimates and can be revised.
Historical data
| Period | Per cent | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025Estimated | 62.8% | +1.5% |
| 2024Estimated | 61.9% | +1.5% |
| 2023Estimated | 60.9% | +2.0% |
| 2022Estimated | 59.7% | +2.1% |
| 2021Estimated | 58.5% | +2.2% |
| 2020Estimated | 57.2% | +2.3% |
| 2019Estimated | 55.9% | +2.5% |
| 2018Estimated | 54.6% | +10.9% |
| 2017Estimated | 49.2% | +2.8% |
| 2016Estimated | 47.9% | +2.0% |
| 2015Estimated | 47.0% | +1.4% |
| 2014Estimated | 46.3% | +1.1% |
| 2013Estimated | 45.8% | +1.0% |
| 2012Estimated | 45.4% | +1.3% |
| 2011Estimated | 44.8% | +1.8% |
| 2010Estimated | 44.0% | +2.3% |
| 2009Estimated | 43.0% | +2.6% |
| 2008Estimated | 41.9% | +2.9% |
| 2007Estimated | 40.7% | +3.2% |
| 2006Estimated | 39.4% | +3.4% |
| 2005Estimated | 38.1% | +3.7% |
| 2004Estimated | 36.8% | +3.8% |
| 2003Estimated | 35.4% | +4.0% |
| 2002Estimated | 34.1% | +4.1% |
| 2001Estimated | 32.7% | +4.1% |
| 2000Estimated | 31.5% | +4.3% |
| 1999Estimated | 30.2% | +5.0% |
| 1998Estimated | 28.7% | +5.6% |
| 1997Estimated | 27.2% | +6.1% |
| 1996Estimated | 25.6% | +6.4% |
| 1995Estimated | 24.1% | +6.4% |
| 1994Estimated | 22.7% | +6.2% |
| 1993Estimated | 21.3% | +5.5% |
| 1992Estimated | 20.2% | +4.5% |
| 1991Estimated | 19.4% | +2.9% |
| 1990Estimated | 18.8% | +1.6% |
| 1989Estimated | 18.5% | +1.2% |
| 1988Estimated | 18.3% | +1.0% |
| 1987Estimated | 18.1% | +0.8% |
| 1986Estimated | 17.9% | +0.7% |
| 1985Estimated | 17.8% | +0.7% |
| 1984Estimated | 17.7% | +0.7% |
| 1983Estimated | 17.6% | +0.8% |
| 1982Estimated | 17.4% | +0.9% |
| 1981Estimated | 17.3% | +1.2% |
| 1980Estimated | 17.1% | +1.5% |
| 1979Estimated | 16.8% | +2.0% |
| 1978Estimated | 16.5% | +2.4% |
| 1977Estimated | 16.1% | +2.8% |
| 1976Estimated | 15.7% | +3.0% |
| 1975Estimated | 15.2% | +3.1% |
| 1974Estimated | 14.8% | +3.1% |
| 1973Estimated | 14.3% | +2.9% |
| 1972Estimated | 13.9% | +2.6% |
| 1971Estimated | 13.6% | +2.1% |
| 1970Estimated | 13.3% | +1.6% |
| 1969Estimated | 13.1% | +1.4% |
| 1968Estimated | 12.9% | +1.3% |
| 1967Estimated | 12.7% | +1.2% |
| 1966Estimated | 12.6% | +1.1% |
| 1965Estimated | 12.5% | +1.0% |
| 1964Estimated | 12.3% | +1.0% |
| 1963Estimated | 12.2% | +1.0% |
| 1962Estimated | 12.1% | +1.1% |
| 1961Estimated | 12.0% | +1.2% |
| 1960Estimated | 11.8% | — |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators.
Methodology
SP.POP.TOTL: Total population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. The values shown are midyear estimates. SP.POP.65UP.TO.ZS: Population ages 65 and above as a percentage of the total population. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. SP.POP.0014.TO.ZS: Population between the ages 0 to 14 as a percentage of the total population. Population is based on the de facto definition of population. SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS: Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. The data are collected and smoothed by United Nations Population Division.
World Bank WDI figures are revised when the World Bank or the underlying national and UN sources revise them; the retrieval date is shown.
These are modelled mid-year estimates of residents, not the civil registration count published by Thailand's Department of Provincial Administration, which counts registered Thai nationals and differs.
Sources
Latest source release: 13 July 2026. Retrieved by ThailandStats: 23 September 2026.
Population of Thailand (World Bank estimates)
- Publisher
- World Bank(opens in a new tab)
- Source
- World Development Indicators
- Dataset
- World Development Indicators: Population, total (SP.POP.TOTL)
- Last updated by publisher
- 13 July 2026
- Retrieved
- 23 September 2026
- Original dataset
- View original(opens in a new tab)
- Licence
- CC BY 4.0 (World Bank)
- ThailandStats dataset
- Population of Thailand (World Bank estimates)
Source releases used (4)
- World Bank WDI SP.POP.TOTL: Population, total(opens in a new tab)Release as at 13 July 2026 · retrieved 23 September 2026 · SHA-256 1486b8296733…
- World Bank WDI SP.POP.65UP.TO.ZS: Population ages 65 and above (% of total population)(opens in a new tab)Release as at 13 July 2026 · retrieved 23 September 2026 · SHA-256 75437dee615e…
- World Bank WDI SP.POP.0014.TO.ZS: Population ages 0-14 (% of total population)(opens in a new tab)Release as at 13 July 2026 · retrieved 23 September 2026 · SHA-256 84927c25b107…
- World Bank WDI SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS: Urban population (% of total population)(opens in a new tab)Release as at 13 July 2026 · retrieved 23 September 2026 · SHA-256 1fb97e5c2f46…
Download the data
Cite this page
ThailandStats (2026). Thailand Urban Population. Updated 24 September 2026. https://thailandstats.com/population/urban-population
Please also cite the original publisher named under Sources.