Thailand: Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Thailand's employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate) fell 0.6 percentage points on 2024 (from 67.24% to 66.64%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1980 to 2024), the average change was +0.22 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 2.43 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 11.51 percentage points in 1980 and the biggest yearly fall was 3.29 percentage points in 1998. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 2% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2025, Thailand had the 13th highest value of the 83 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Thailand in the 2025 ranking

• Belarus — 10th of 83: 68.5%
• Ghana — 11th of 83: 68.15%
• New Zealand — 12th of 83: 66.79%
• Angola — 14th of 83: 66.62%
• Netherlands — 15th of 83: 66.01%
• Singapore — 16th of 83: 65.66%

What this measures

Employment to population ratio is the proportion of a country's population that is employed.

Limitations: Comparability of employment-to-population ratios across countries is affected most significantly by variations in the definitions used for the employment and population figures. Differences result from age coverage, such as the lower and upper bounds for labor force activity. Estimates of both employment and population are also likely to vary according to whether members of the armed forces are included. Another area with scope for measurement differences has to do with the national treatment of particular groups of workers. The international definition of employment calls for inclusion of all persons who worked for at least one hour during the reference period.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 40 values

Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate) in nearby economies

• Australia — 64.15% (2025)
• Brunei Darussalam — 60.2% (2025)
• Cambodia — 77% (2025)
• China — 67.35% (2019)
• Fiji — 51.89% (2024)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 54.91% (2025)
• Indonesia — 65.04% (2023)
• Japan — 62.23% (2025)
• Korea, Rep.

More social protection & labor data for Thailand

• Net migration — 27,509 (2025)
• Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate) — 0.6% (2025)
• Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (national estimate) — 0.66% (2025)
• Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) — 0.55% (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum — 84,017 (2025)
• Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, female (%) (national estimate) — 31.45% (2025)
• Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, male (%) (national estimate) — 42.59% (2025)
• Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) (national estimate)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Thailand's employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate)?

66.64% in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1976?

It is down 3.86 percentage points from 70.51% in 1976. The highest value was 85.26% in 1980 and the lowest 66.13% in 2021.

How does Thailand rank?

13th highest of 83 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate) unusual for Thailand?

In 2025, Thailand's employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate) fell 0.6 percentage points on 2024 (from 67.24% to 66.64%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1980 to 2024), the average change was +0.22 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 2.43 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SL.EMP.TOTL.SP.NE.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), uri: https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/bulk/, publisher: ILOSTAT, type: external database, date accessed: September 28, 2026 Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.