Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Thailand
Thailand: Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line was 16.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Thailand, 1981–2024
Source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ. Measured in % of population.
Analysis
In 2024, poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Thailand stood at 16.0%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and down 17.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Thailand peaked at 38.4% in 1981 and was at its lowest, 15.9%, in 2023.
That places Thailand 83rd out of 123 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 30 years of available data.
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Thailand, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 38.4% | — |
| 1988 | 36.4% | -5.2% |
| 1990 | 34.5% | -5.2% |
| 1992 | 33.1% | -4.1% |
| 1994 | 28.8% | -13.0% |
| 1996 | 27.0% | -6.3% |
| 1998 | 27.6% | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 28.4% | +2.9% |
| 2000 | 29.1% | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 26.9% | -7.6% |
| 2004 | 25.9% | -3.7% |
| 2006 | 25.2% | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 23.7% | -6.0% |
| 2008 | 23.9% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 23.3% | -2.5% |
| 2010 | 21.7% | -6.9% |
| 2011 | 19.0% | -12.4% |
| 2012 | 21.3% | +12.1% |
| 2013 | 19.5% | -8.5% |
| 2014 | 19.3% | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 17.8% | -7.8% |
| 2016 | 18.3% | +2.8% |
| 2017 | 18.5% | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 18.6% | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 16.7% | -10.2% |
| 2020 | 17.9% | +7.2% |
| 2021 | 16.9% | -5.6% |
| 2022 | 16.4% | -3.0% |
| 2023 | 15.9% | -3.0% |
| 2024 | 16.0% | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 37.4% | 36.4% | 38.4% | 2 |
| 1990s | 29.9% | 27.0% | 34.5% | 6 |
| 2000s | 25.4% | 23.3% | 29.1% | 7 |
| 2010s | 19.1% | 16.7% | 21.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.6% | 15.9% | 17.9% | 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 poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Thailand?
- Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Thailand was 16.0% in 2024, according to World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
- What is the highest poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line recorded in Thailand?
- The highest recorded value was 38.4% in 1981.
- What is the lowest poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line recorded in Thailand?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.9% in 2023.
- How does Thailand rank for poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line?
- Thailand ranks 83rd out of 123 countries with data for 2024.
- Is poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line rising or falling in Thailand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Thailand data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ, published as part of Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 30 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
The poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line is the percentage of a population living in poverty according to the World Bank's Societal Poverty Line. The Societal Poverty Line is expressed in purchasing power adjusted 2021 U.S. dollars and defined as max($3.00, $1.30 + 0.5*Median). This means that when the national median is sufficiently low, the Societal Poverty line is equivalent to the extreme poverty line, $3.00. For countries with a sufficiently high national median, the Societal Poverty Line grows as countries’ median income grows.