Urbanization in Thailand 2023

This statistic shows the degree of urbanization in Thailand from 2013 to 2023. Urbanization means the share of urban population in the total population of a country. In 2023, 53.61 percent of Thailand's total population lived in urban areas and cities. 

The migration of the Thai population to metropolises and urban areas

Thailand is in the midst of transforming itself from a predominantly rural country to an increasingly urban one. Today, over half the population lives in urban areas, which is much higher than most bordering countries. While Thailand's urbanization rates are still low compared to more developed nations - which can reach levels over 90 percent, this transformation in Thailand is still significant, especially as most of this growth occurs and is expected to occur in the Krung Thep area, better known as Bangkok, capital and largest city in Thailand. Krung Thep is now home to more than 5.6 million people. The number of tourists and overnight visitors to the city is also on the rise, and Bangkok is usually among the ten most visited cities in each year, with over 20 million visitors in 2023. This development will place increasing demands on urban infrastructure, as the city grows and grows. The second largest city in Thailand is Nonthaburi, but it only has around one quarter of a million inhabitants, a significant difference. 

Despite the country’s rural but shifting population, Thailand's fertility rate is low and well below the natural replacement rate, and population growth in general is thus only minimal. Interestingly, despite this migration, agriculture has retained a stable share in GDP generation, actually increasing slightly over time, while the contributions of industry and services to GDP have also remained relatively the same.