Share of population with no formal education in Thailand
Thailand: Share of population with no formal education was 2.9% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Share of population with no formal education in Thailand, 1870–2020
Source: Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, share of population with no formal education in Thailand stood at 2.9%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 7.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population with no formal education in Thailand peaked at 100.0% in 1870 and was at its lowest, 2.7%, in 2010.
That places Thailand 57th out of 111 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of population with no formal education in Thailand, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 100.0% | — |
| 1875 | 99.9% | -0.1% |
| 1880 | 99.9% | +0.0% |
| 1885 | 99.7% | -0.2% |
| 1890 | 99.6% | -0.1% |
| 1895 | 99.3% | -0.3% |
| 1900 | 98.8% | -0.5% |
| 1905 | 94.9% | -3.9% |
| 1910 | 90.9% | -4.2% |
| 1915 | 88.0% | -3.2% |
| 1920 | 88.7% | +0.8% |
| 1925 | 85.9% | -3.2% |
| 1930 | 82.7% | -3.7% |
| 1935 | 76.2% | -7.9% |
| 1940 | 70.1% | -8.0% |
| 1945 | 60.2% | -14.1% |
| 1950 | 48.1% | -20.1% |
| 1955 | 41.2% | -14.3% |
| 1960 | 35.0% | -15.0% |
| 1965 | 28.4% | -18.9% |
| 1970 | 21.4% | -24.6% |
| 1975 | 17.7% | -17.3% |
| 1980 | 12.8% | -27.7% |
| 1985 | 10.9% | -14.8% |
| 1990 | 10.0% | -8.3% |
| 1995 | 9.9% | -1.0% |
| 2000 | 11.5% | +16.2% |
| 2005 | 5.0% | -56.5% |
| 2010 | 2.7% | -46.0% |
| 2015 | 2.9% | +7.4% |
| 2020 | 2.9% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 100.0% | 99.9% | 100.0% | 2 |
| 1880s | 99.8% | 99.7% | 99.9% | 2 |
| 1890s | 99.4% | 99.3% | 99.6% | 2 |
| 1900s | 96.8% | 94.9% | 98.8% | 2 |
| 1910s | 89.5% | 88.0% | 90.9% | 2 |
| 1920s | 87.3% | 85.9% | 88.7% | 2 |
| 1930s | 79.5% | 76.2% | 82.7% | 2 |
| 1940s | 65.2% | 60.2% | 70.1% | 2 |
| 1950s | 44.7% | 41.2% | 48.1% | 2 |
| 1960s | 31.7% | 28.4% | 35.0% | 2 |
| 1970s | 19.5% | 17.7% | 21.4% | 2 |
| 1980s | 11.9% | 10.9% | 12.8% | 2 |
| 1990s | 9.9% | 9.9% | 10.0% | 2 |
| 2000s | 8.2% | 5.0% | 11.5% | 2 |
| 2010s | 2.8% | 2.7% | 2.9% | 2 |
| 2020s | 2.9% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Thailand
More education data for Thailand
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.16 million (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate -1.04 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), per capita 0.0301 units per person (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.29 million (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate -1.4 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), per capita 0.032 units per person (2025)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 4.26 million (2025)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -1.6 % change on previous year (2025)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 305,368 (2025)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate -0.8893 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population with no formal education in Thailand?
- Share of population with no formal education in Thailand was 2.9% in 2020, according to Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population with no formal education recorded in Thailand?
- The highest recorded value was 100.0% in 1870.
- What is the lowest share of population with no formal education recorded in Thailand?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.7% in 2010.
- How does Thailand rank for share of population with no formal education?
- Thailand ranks 57th out of 111 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population with no formal education rising or falling in Thailand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Thailand data come from?
- The figures come from Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population with no formal education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The share of adults aged between 15 and 64 years old with no formal education.