Employee compensation as share of government spending in Thailand
Thailand: Employee compensation as share of government spending was 22.6% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Employee compensation as share of government spending in Thailand, 1972–2023
Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of expense.
Analysis
The most recent figure for employee compensation as share of government spending in Thailand is 22.6%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.7% on the previous year and down 18.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employee compensation as share of government spending in Thailand peaked at 49.0% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 20.1%, in 2021.
Thailand ranks 85th of 155 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 52 years of available data.
Employee compensation as share of government spending in Thailand, year by year
| Year | % of expense | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 32.2% | — |
| 1973 | 28.0% | -13.1% |
| 1974 | 33.0% | +18.0% |
| 1975 | 30.4% | -7.9% |
| 1976 | 28.6% | -5.8% |
| 1977 | 29.6% | +3.3% |
| 1978 | 26.2% | -11.5% |
| 1979 | 26.7% | +1.9% |
| 1980 | 26.1% | -2.2% |
| 1981 | 34.2% | +31.1% |
| 1982 | 35.3% | +3.1% |
| 1983 | 36.7% | +4.0% |
| 1984 | 36.3% | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 35.0% | -3.5% |
| 1986 | 36.4% | +3.9% |
| 1987 | 37.0% | +1.9% |
| 1988 | 36.7% | -0.9% |
| 1989 | 38.5% | +5.0% |
| 1990 | 41.3% | +7.2% |
| 1991 | 41.4% | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 44.2% | +6.8% |
| 1993 | 43.9% | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 41.9% | -4.6% |
| 1995 | 49.0% | +17.0% |
| 1996 | 46.6% | -4.9% |
| 1997 | 42.1% | -9.6% |
| 1998 | 36.3% | -13.7% |
| 1999 | 31.9% | -12.3% |
| 2000 | 44.6% | +40.0% |
| 2001 | 35.8% | -19.7% |
| 2002 | 26.5% | -26.0% |
| 2003 | 35.2% | +32.8% |
| 2004 | 33.2% | -5.6% |
| 2005 | 34.6% | +4.1% |
| 2006 | 40.0% | +15.5% |
| 2007 | 37.2% | -6.8% |
| 2008 | 35.3% | -5.2% |
| 2009 | 36.0% | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 40.1% | +11.3% |
| 2011 | 36.8% | -8.3% |
| 2012 | 29.6% | -19.6% |
| 2013 | 27.9% | -5.8% |
| 2014 | 27.3% | -1.9% |
| 2015 | 28.0% | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 27.5% | -2.0% |
| 2017 | 26.9% | -2.1% |
| 2018 | 25.9% | -3.7% |
| 2019 | 25.8% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 23.0% | -10.9% |
| 2021 | 20.1% | -12.9% |
| 2022 | 21.2% | +5.6% |
| 2023 | 22.6% | +6.7% |
Thailand compared with similar countries
- Thailand's 22.6% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 26.6%, 85% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Thailand's 22.6% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 29.6%, 76% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 29.3% | 26.2% | 33.0% | 8 |
| 1980s | 35.2% | 26.1% | 38.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 41.9% | 31.9% | 49.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 35.8% | 26.5% | 44.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 29.6% | 25.8% | 40.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.7% | 20.1% | 23.0% | 4 |
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 employee compensation as share of government spending in Thailand?
- Employee compensation as share of government spending in Thailand was 22.6% in 2023, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in Thailand?
- The highest recorded value was 49.0% in 1995.
- What is the lowest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in Thailand?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.1% in 2021.
- How does Thailand rank for employee compensation as share of government spending?
- Thailand ranks 85th out of 155 countries with data for 2023.
- Is employee compensation as share of government spending rising or falling in Thailand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Thailand data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Employee compensation as share of government spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Employee compensation includes wages, in-kind payments, and government contributions to social insurance schemes such as social security and pensions.