Thailand Urban Population
Urban population as % of total SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS
Thailand's urban population was 63.17% in 2025, ranked 115th globally. This represents a 2.1% increase from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1960–2025.
Overview
Thailand's urban population stood at 63.17% in 2025, a rise of +1.30% from 2024. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 63.17% by 2025. Thailand ranked 115th globally.
Thailand’s urban population has risen dramatically from 11.83 percent of the total in 1960 to 63.17 percent in 2025, marking the highest share recorded over the 66‑year series and placing the country at rank 115 globally. This expansion reflects sustained rural‑to‑urban migration, infrastructure development and the growth of service‑oriented sectors that have concentrated employment in cities such as Bangkok and Chiang Mai. The pace of urbanisation accelerated after the 1990s, coinciding with Thailand’s integration into regional supply chains and the liberalisation of its economy, and it now parallels the levels observed in peer economies such as Ecuador (63.23 percent) and Morocco (63.01 percent). While the current level represents an all‑time peak, the share of the population living in urban areas is expected to continue climbing modestly as younger cohorts gravitate toward metropolitan labour markets, unless policy interventions substantially redirect growth toward secondary cities or rural revitalisation programmes.
Data & projection
| Year | Urban Population | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027* trend | 65.50% | - | - |
| 2026* trend | 64.33% | - | - |
| 2025* trend | 63.17% | - | - |
| 2025 | 63.17% | +1.30% | #115 |
| 2024 | 61.87% | +0.93% | #98 |
| 2023 | 60.93% | +1.19% | #95 |
| 2022 | 59.74% | +1.23% | #93 |
| 2021 | 58.51% | +1.27% | #91 |
| 2020 | 57.24% | +1.31% | #90 |
| 2019 | 55.93% | +1.34% | #84 |
| 2018 | 54.58% | +5.35% | #82 |
| 2017 | 49.23% | +1.35% | #69 |
| 2016 | 47.88% | +0.93% | #68 |
| 2015 | 46.95% | +0.64% | #67 |
| 2014 | 46.31% | +0.48% | #66 |
| 2013 | 45.83% | +0.46% | #66 |
| 2012 | 45.37% | +0.57% | #66 |
| 2011 | 44.80% | +0.80% | #65 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Thailand matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2017. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw urban population improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Thailand's urban population was 63.17% in 2025. Ranked 115th globally. This represents a 2.1% increase from the previous year.
Thailand's urban population peaked at 63.17% in 2025.
The lowest urban population in Thailand was 11.83% in 1960.
Thailand ranks 115th globally in urban population as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
Thailand's urban population is projected to reach 63.17% by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The urban population of Thailand in 2025 was 63.17%. This ranks 115th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_thailand_urban-population,
title = {Thailand Urban Population},
url = {https://historysaid.com/thailand/urban-population/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}