Employment rate in Thailand
Thailand: Employment rate was 66.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
66.2%
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
32nd
of 186 countries
All-time high
74.8%
in 1997
All-time low
66.1%
in 2021
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Employment rate in Thailand, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for employment rate in Thailand is 66.2%, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment rate in Thailand peaked at 74.8% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 66.1%, in 2021.
Thailand ranks 32nd of 186 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Employment rate in Thailand, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 73.1% | — |
| 1992 | 74.0% | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 73.9% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 73.9% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 74.4% | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 74.7% | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 74.8% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 72.0% | -3.8% |
| 1999 | 71.1% | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 71.7% | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 71.6% | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 71.9% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 71.9% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 71.9% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 72.1% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 71.6% | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 72.0% | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 72.0% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 71.8% | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 71.2% | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 72.7% | +2.2% |
| 2012 | 72.4% | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 69.8% | -3.6% |
| 2014 | 69.4% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 68.9% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 67.8% | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 67.0% | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 67.3% | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 66.5% | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 66.3% | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 66.1% | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 66.5% | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 67.3% | +1.2% |
| 2024 | 66.6% | -1.1% |
| 2025 | 66.2% | -0.7% |
Thailand compared with similar countries
- Thailand's 66.2% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 55.7%, 1.2× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Thailand's 66.2% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 61.9%, 1.1× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 73.6% | 71.1% | 74.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 71.9% | 71.6% | 72.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 69.3% | 66.5% | 72.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 66.5% | 66.1% | 67.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Thailand
More work & labour data for Thailand
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.7473 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.7165 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.7773 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.09 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.1451 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 45,410 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 19,963 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 23,079 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 22,476 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 45,555 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment rate in Thailand?
- Employment rate in Thailand was 66.2% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment rate recorded in Thailand?
- The highest recorded value was 74.8% in 1997.
- What is the lowest employment rate recorded in Thailand?
- The lowest recorded value was 66.1% in 2021.
- How does Thailand rank for employment rate?
- Thailand ranks 32nd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment rate rising or falling in Thailand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Thailand data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Employment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the working-age population (ages 15 and older) who are employed.