School age population, primary education, both sexes in Thailand
Thailand: School age population, primary education, both sexes was 4.78 million number in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
4.78 million number
Change on year
down 1.4%
World rank
28th
of 206 countries
All-time high
8.44 million number
in 1978
All-time low
4.78 million number
in 2020
Years of data
51
1970–2020
School age population, primary education, both sexes in Thailand, 1970–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.
Analysis
In 2020, school age population, primary education, both sexes in Thailand stood at 4.78 million number. That is the lowest value across all 51 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.4% on the previous year and down 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, primary education, both sexes in Thailand peaked at 8.44 million number in 1978 and was at its lowest, 4.78 million number, in 2020.
That places Thailand 28th out of 206 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 51 years of available data.
School age population, primary education, both sexes in Thailand, year by year
| Year | number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 6.58 million number | — |
| 1971 | 6.81 million number | +3.5% |
| 1972 | 7.04 million number | +3.4% |
| 1973 | 7.28 million number | +3.4% |
| 1974 | 7.52 million number | +3.3% |
| 1975 | 7.76 million number | +3.2% |
| 1976 | 7.99 million number | +3.0% |
| 1977 | 8.23 million number | +3.0% |
| 1978 | 8.44 million number | +2.6% |
| 1979 | 7.47 million number | -11.5% |
| 1980 | 7.56 million number | +1.2% |
| 1981 | 7.60 million number | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 7.60 million number | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 7.59 million number | -0.2% |
| 1984 | 7.56 million number | -0.4% |
| 1985 | 7.52 million number | -0.5% |
| 1986 | 7.47 million number | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 7.39 million number | -1.0% |
| 1988 | 7.25 million number | -2.0% |
| 1989 | 7.17 million number | -1.1% |
| 1990 | 7.07 million number | -1.3% |
| 1991 | 6.97 million number | -1.5% |
| 1992 | 6.87 million number | -1.3% |
| 1993 | 6.78 million number | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 6.67 million number | -1.5% |
| 1995 | 6.58 million number | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 6.50 million number | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 6.41 million number | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 6.34 million number | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 6.29 million number | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 6.25 million number | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 6.20 million number | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 6.14 million number | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 6.06 million number | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 5.97 million number | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 5.86 million number | -1.8% |
| 2006 | 5.74 million number | -2.1% |
| 2007 | 5.63 million number | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 5.52 million number | -1.9% |
| 2009 | 5.42 million number | -1.9% |
| 2010 | 5.31 million number | -1.9% |
| 2011 | 5.21 million number | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 5.16 million number | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 5.11 million number | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 5.08 million number | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 5.05 million number | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 5.03 million number | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 4.97 million number | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 4.91 million number | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 4.85 million number | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 4.78 million number | -1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 7.51 million number | 6.58 million number | 8.44 million number | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.47 million number | 7.17 million number | 7.60 million number | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.65 million number | 6.29 million number | 7.07 million number | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.88 million number | 5.42 million number | 6.25 million number | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.07 million number | 4.85 million number | 5.31 million number | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.78 million number | 4.78 million number | 4.78 million number | 1 |
Countries ranked near Thailand
More education data for Thailand
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), gaps filled 2,023 tertiary education (2024)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), annual growth 0.0495 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 305,368 (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 69.6% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 14.4% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, primary education, both sexes in Thailand?
- School age population, primary education, both sexes in Thailand was 4.78 million number in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, primary education, both sexes recorded in Thailand?
- The highest recorded value was 8.44 million number in 1978.
- What is the lowest school age population, primary education, both sexes recorded in Thailand?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.78 million number in 2020.
- How does Thailand rank for school age population, primary education, both sexes?
- Thailand ranks 28th out of 206 countries with data for 2020.
- Is school age population, primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Thailand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Thailand data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School age population, primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population of the age-group theoretically corresponding to primary education as indicated by theoretical entrance age and duration.