Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Thailand
Thailand: Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) was 19.8% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Thailand, 1981–2021
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Thailand is 19.8%, measured in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 16.6% on the previous year and down 9.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Thailand peaked at 24.5% in 1988 and was at its lowest, 15.6%, in 2019.
That places Thailand 21st out of 113 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 29 years of available data.
Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Thailand, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 23.0% | — |
| 1988 | 24.5% | +6.6% |
| 1990 | 23.5% | -4.2% |
| 1992 | 24.2% | +3.0% |
| 1994 | 23.4% | -3.4% |
| 1996 | 22.2% | -4.9% |
| 1999 | 21.2% | -4.7% |
| 2000 | 21.7% | +2.3% |
| 2001 | 23.2% | +7.1% |
| 2002 | 22.2% | -4.4% |
| 2003 | 23.7% | +6.7% |
| 2004 | 23.1% | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 22.9% | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 22.6% | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 22.0% | -2.5% |
| 2008 | 23.1% | +4.9% |
| 2009 | 21.7% | -6.1% |
| 2010 | 22.7% | +4.5% |
| 2011 | 21.9% | -3.3% |
| 2012 | 21.6% | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 20.1% | -6.8% |
| 2014 | 20.4% | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 19.2% | -6.2% |
| 2016 | 19.3% | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 19.4% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 17.4% | -10.6% |
| 2019 | 15.6% | -10.4% |
| 2020 | 17.0% | +9.4% |
| 2021 | 19.8% | +16.6% |
Thailand compared with similar countries
- Thailand's 19.8% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 16.6%, 1.2× the median. (31 countries reporting)
- Thailand's 19.8% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 16.1%, 1.2× the median. (14 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 23.7% | 23.0% | 24.5% | 2 |
| 1990s | 22.9% | 21.2% | 24.2% | 5 |
| 2000s | 22.6% | 21.7% | 23.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.8% | 15.6% | 22.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.4% | 17.0% | 19.8% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Thailand
More reference data data for Thailand
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.67 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.89 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 13.08 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 13.08 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 5.58 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 7.72 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 10.67 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 65.23 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 7.92 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Thailand?
- Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Thailand was 19.8% in 2021, according to World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest income share of the richest 1% (before tax) recorded in Thailand?
- The highest recorded value was 24.5% in 1988.
- What is the lowest income share of the richest 1% (before tax) recorded in Thailand?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.6% in 2019.
- How does Thailand rank for income share of the richest 1% (before tax)?
- Thailand ranks 21st out of 113 countries with data for 2021.
- Is income share of the richest 1% (before tax) rising or falling in Thailand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Thailand data come from?
- The figures come from World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Income share of the richest 1% (before tax). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of income received by the richest 1%. Income here is measured before taxes and benefits.