Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Thailand
Thailand: Distribution of population between different poverty lines was 4.83 million people in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
4.83 million people
Change on year
down 9.7%
World rank
30th
of 120 countries
All-time high
6.35 million people
in 2022
All-time low
437,814 people
in 1981
Years of data
30
1981–2024
Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Thailand, 1981–2024
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2024, distribution of population between different poverty lines in Thailand stood at 4.83 million people.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 9.7% on the previous year and up 14.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, distribution of population between different poverty lines in Thailand peaked at 6.35 million people in 2022 and was at its lowest, 437,814 people, in 1981.
That places Thailand 30th out of 120 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Thailand, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 437,814 people | — |
| 1988 | 536,581 people | +22.6% |
| 1990 | 696,976 people | +29.9% |
| 1992 | 1.35 million people | +93.5% |
| 1994 | 1.20 million people | -10.7% |
| 1996 | 1.45 million people | +20.6% |
| 1998 | 1.36 million people | -6.5% |
| 1999 | 1.24 million people | -8.4% |
| 2000 | 1.19 million people | -4.6% |
| 2002 | 1.66 million people | +39.6% |
| 2004 | 2.31 million people | +39.7% |
| 2006 | 2.95 million people | +27.5% |
| 2007 | 2.69 million people | -8.8% |
| 2008 | 3.03 million people | +12.8% |
| 2009 | 3.16 million people | +4.1% |
| 2010 | 3.59 million people | +13.8% |
| 2011 | 3.42 million people | -4.7% |
| 2012 | 4.32 million people | +26.3% |
| 2013 | 4.39 million people | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 4.23 million people | -3.7% |
| 2015 | 4.50 million people | +6.4% |
| 2016 | 4.68 million people | +4.0% |
| 2017 | 4.91 million people | +4.8% |
| 2018 | 4.98 million people | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 4.57 million people | -8.3% |
| 2020 | 4.90 million people | +7.1% |
| 2021 | 4.90 million people | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 6.35 million people | +29.5% |
| 2023 | 5.35 million people | -15.8% |
| 2024 | 4.83 million people | -9.7% |
Thailand compared with similar countries
- Thailand's 4.83 million people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 626,662 people, 7.7× the median. (35 countries reporting)
- Thailand's 4.83 million people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4.83 million people, 1.0× the median. (11 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 487,198 people | 437,814 people | 536,581 people | 2 |
| 1990s | 1.22 million people | 696,976 people | 1.45 million people | 6 |
| 2000s | 2.43 million people | 1.19 million people | 3.16 million people | 7 |
| 2010s | 4.36 million people | 3.42 million people | 4.98 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.27 million people | 4.83 million people | 6.35 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Thailand
More poverty & inequality data for Thailand
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 9 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.21 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 3,072 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate -1.09 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 17.04 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 17.0% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is distribution of population between different poverty lines in Thailand?
- Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Thailand was 4.83 million people in 2024, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest distribution of population between different poverty lines recorded in Thailand?
- The highest recorded value was 6.35 million people in 2022.
- What is the lowest distribution of population between different poverty lines recorded in Thailand?
- The lowest recorded value was 437,814 people in 1981.
- How does Thailand rank for distribution of population between different poverty lines?
- Thailand ranks 30th out of 120 countries with data for 2024.
- Is distribution of population between different poverty lines rising or falling in Thailand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Thailand data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Distribution of population between different poverty lines. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 30 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of people living in households with an income or consumption above $40 per day.