Literacy rates of older vs. younger population in Thailand
Thailand: Literacy rates of older vs. younger population was 79.1% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Literacy rates of older vs. younger population in Thailand, 1980–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, literacy rates of older vs. younger population in Thailand stood at 79.1%.
The figure is up 2.5% on the previous year and up 1.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rates of older vs. younger population in Thailand peaked at 93.1% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 38.1%, in 1980.
That places Thailand 38th out of 85 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.
Literacy rates of older vs. younger population in Thailand, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 38.1% | — |
| 2000 | 68.5% | +79.7% |
| 2005 | 72.7% | +6.2% |
| 2010 | 93.1% | +28.0% |
| 2013 | 77.6% | -16.6% |
| 2015 | 78.7% | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 77.8% | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 82.5% | +6.0% |
| 2019 | 77.2% | -6.4% |
| 2022 | 79.1% | +2.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 38.1% | 38.1% | 38.1% | 1 |
| 2000s | 70.6% | 68.5% | 72.7% | 2 |
| 2010s | 81.1% | 77.2% | 93.1% | 6 |
| 2020s | 79.1% | 79.1% | 79.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Thailand
More education data for Thailand
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.11 million (2025)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate -3.2 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.47 million (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual -9.66 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 2.17 million (2025)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 7.31 % change on previous year (2025)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 208,533 (2025)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 96,835 (2025)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 1.23 million (2025)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 7.51 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rates of older vs. younger population in Thailand?
- Literacy rates of older vs. younger population in Thailand was 79.1% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literacy rates of older vs. younger population recorded in Thailand?
- The highest recorded value was 93.1% in 2010.
- What is the lowest literacy rates of older vs. younger population recorded in Thailand?
- The lowest recorded value was 38.1% in 1980.
- How does Thailand rank for literacy rates of older vs. younger population?
- Thailand ranks 38th out of 85 countries with data for 2022.
- Is literacy rates of older vs. younger population rising or falling in Thailand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Thailand data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literacy rates of older vs. younger population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the population aged 65 years and older who can read and write.