Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Thailand

Thailand: Exclusive breastfeeding rate was 14.0% in 2019. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2019)
14.0%
Change on year
down 39.3%
World rank
70th
of 72 countries
All-time high
23.0%
in 2016
All-time low
3.6%
in 1995
Years of data
8
1987–2019

Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Thailand, 1987–2019

5101520251987200320191987: 5.3 % of children under 6 months1995: 3.6 % of children under 6 months2006: 5.4 % of children under 6 months2009: 15.1 % of children under 6 months2012: 12.3 % of children under 6 months2013: 12.3 % of children under 6 months2016: 23 % of children under 6 months2019: 14 % of children under 6 months

Source: Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of children under 6 months.

Analysis

In 2019, exclusive breastfeeding rate in Thailand stood at 14.0%.

That represents a change of down 39.3% on the previous year and down 7.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, exclusive breastfeeding rate in Thailand peaked at 23.0% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 3.6%, in 1995.

Thailand ranks 70th of 72 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 5.3% 5.3% 5.3% 1
1990s 3.6% 3.6% 3.6% 1
2000s 10.2% 5.4% 15.1% 2
2010s 15.4% 12.3% 23.0% 4

Countries ranked near Thailand

  1. 67 Niger 21.6% compare
  2. 68 Guyana 21.1% compare
  3. 69 Chad 16.2% compare
  4. 71 Tunisia 13.5% compare
  5. 72 Dominican Republic 4.6% compare

See the full ranking of 72 places →

More reference data data for Thailand

All data for Thailand →

Frequently asked questions

What is exclusive breastfeeding rate in Thailand?
Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Thailand was 14.0% in 2019, according to Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in Thailand?
The highest recorded value was 23.0% in 2016.
What is the lowest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in Thailand?
The lowest recorded value was 3.6% in 1995.
How does Thailand rank for exclusive breastfeeding rate?
Thailand ranks 70th out of 72 countries with data for 2019.
Is exclusive breastfeeding rate rising or falling in Thailand?
Over the last ten years it is down 7.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Thailand data come from?
The figures come from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Exclusive breastfeeding rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Exclusive breastfeeding rate
Unit
% of children under 6 months
Source
Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
72 places, 509 data points, 1986–2020
Last refreshed

The share of infants less than six months old who were fed only with breast milk in the past 24 hours. WHO and UNICEF recommend that children be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life – meaning no other foods or liquids are provided, including water.