Thailand Population
Thailand had an estimated population of 71,619,863 in mid-2025 (World Bank), making it the 20th most populous of 217 countries and territories, with 0.87% of everyone alive. The counter above projects that figure forward at the current growth rate of −0.07% a year.
Thailand at a glance
How Thailand's population is changing
Thailand's population is roughly stable: −0.07% a year, which works out to about −48,132 people per year, or −132 a day. Births (8.1 per 1,000) and deaths (9.0 per 1,000) alone would give −0.09% a year; net migration adds about 27,509 people a year (+0.04%). Roughly one in every 115 people on Earth lives in Thailand.
Population of Thailand since 1960
In 1960, Thailand had 26,851,747 people. By 2025 that was 71,619,863 — 2.7× larger. The fastest growth came between 1960 and 1970, when the population rose by 34%.
| Year | Population | Change vs previous row |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 26,851,747 | — |
| 1970 | 35,954,408 | +33.9% |
| 1980 | 45,650,022 | +27.0% |
| 1990 | 54,738,329 | +19.9% |
| 2000 | 63,007,815 | +15.1% |
| 2010 | 68,579,447 | +8.8% |
| 2020 | 71,641,484 | +4.5% |
| 2025 | 71,619,863 | −0.0% |
Thailand from 1800 to 2100
Modelled estimates put Thailand at about 3,000,000 people in 1800; the UN estimates 71,619,866 in 2025 (24× 1800) and projects 45,555,066 for 2100 in its medium scenario. The population is projected to peak around 2022 at 71,735,321 and decline afterwards.
| Year | Population | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 3,000,000 | modelled estimate |
| 1850 | 5,233,697 | modelled estimate |
| 1900 | 7,411,725 | modelled estimate |
| 1950 | 20,428,401 | UN estimate |
| 2000 | 63,007,815 | UN estimate |
| 2025 | 71,619,866 | UN projection |
| 2050 | 66,382,731 | UN projection |
| 2075 | 55,247,484 | UN projection |
| 2100 | 45,555,066 | UN projection |
Country live/base figures use World Bank estimates; this historical/future chart uses a separate UN series and need not match the World Bank base in overlapping years. Before 1950: HYDE 3.3 / Gapminder reconstructions via Our World in Data — historical modelling, not censuses. 1950–2023: UN World Population Prospects 2024. 2024–2100: UN medium projection. Open the time machine to see the whole map in any year.
Largest listed places in Thailand
10 records sorted by displayed base population. Definitions vary (province/administrative unit, UN urban centre or GeoNames settlement); this is not a harmonised city ranking. Shares use World Bank 2025 country population 71,619,863. Dates and boundaries may differ. Overlapping entities are not summed.
| # | Place | Population | Definition | Share | Source / reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bangkok | 18,180,280 | UN urban centre | 25.38% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 2 | Chiang Mai | 626,629 | UN urban centre | 0.87% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 3 | Hat Yai | 407,059 | UN urban centre | 0.57% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 4 | Phuket | 389,376 | UN urban centre | 0.54% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 5 | Samut Prakan | 388,920 | GeoNames settlement | 0.54% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 6 | Lop Buri | 378,160 | UN urban centre | 0.53% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 7 | Chon Buri | 297,276 | UN urban centre | 0.42% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 8 | Khon Kaen | 274,613 | UN urban centre | 0.38% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 9 | Mueang Nonthaburi | 254,375 | GeoNames settlement | 0.36% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 10 | Pattaya | 238,411 | UN urban centre | 0.33% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
How Thailand compares
Thailand has almost the same population as Tanzania (70,545,865).
| Rank | Country | Population | vs Thailand | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #18 |  Türkiye | 85,878,556 | +20% | compare → |
| #19 |  Germany | 83,491,249 | +17% | compare → |
| #21 |  Tanzania | 70,545,865 | −1% | compare → |
| #22 |  United Kingdom | 69,487,000 | −3% | compare → |
Compare Thailand with any country →
Same region (East Asia & Pacific): China, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar.
Explore around Thailand
Land neighbours (4)
Myanmar 54,850,648 · 1.3× smaller · compare
Malaysia 35,977,838 · 2.0× smaller · compare
Cambodia 17,847,982 · 4.0× smaller · compare
Laos 7,873,046 · 9.1× smaller · compare
Thailand's 4 neighbours together hold 116,549,514 people — 1.6× Thailand's population. The most populous is Myanmar (54,850,648).
In its region
Thailand is the 6th most populous of the 37 economies in East Asia & Pacific, holding 3.0% of the region's 2,367,527,180 people.
Rankings featuring Thailand
Cities
Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Phuket, Samut Prakan, Lop Buri, Chon Buri, Khon Kaen — all Thailand's cities on the map.
World population history · The world when you were born · Thailand when you were born · Time machine · Embed this live counter on your site
About these numbers
Population, growth, birth and death rates, migration, density, age structure, life expectancy, fertility and GDP per capita come from the World Bank Indicators API (latest available year shown beside each figure). The live counter applies the annual growth rate continuously from 1 July 2025 — a model, not a measurement. City populations are the latest census or official estimate held by GeoNames and are not projected. Sub-city units are folded into their parent city.
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Read this country carefully
This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.