Thailand Gini Index

Thailand’s Gini index has fallen markedly over the past three decades, descending from a high of 45.20 in 1981 to an all‑time trough of 33.12 in 2025, the lowest level recorded for the country and placing it 45th globally. The index peaked at 47.90 in 1992, a period that coincided with rapid economic liberalisation and widening income gaps, before a gradual convergence toward greater equity began in the late 1990s. The recent figure of 33.12 is virtually identical to the 2025 value of Uzbekistan (33.15) and only slightly above Spain’s 32.78, suggesting that Thailand’s distributional outcomes now resemble those of upper‑middle‑income economies with relatively modest inequality. The sustained decline reflects a combination of progressive tax reforms, expanded social protection programmes and rising labour‑intensive employment, although regional disparities remain. If fiscal policy continues to target low‑income households and investments in human capital persist, the downward trajectory of the Gini index is likely to endure, further narrowing the gap between Thailand and its more egalitarian peers.