Thailand: education

What is the literacy rate in Thailand?

91.1% of people aged 15 and over in Thailand could read and write in 2022, according to the World Bank World Development Indicators, which use UNESCO data. The rate was 91.3% in 2019 and 93.8% in 2018.

The rate measures basic reading and writing, not reading comprehension, and comes from surveys held in some years only, so small year-to-year changes partly reflect differences between surveys.

Official sources: World Bank: adult literacy rate, Thailand

How many students are there in Thailand?

12,485,703 pupils and students were enrolled in Thailand's formal education system in academic year 2022, according to figures published by the National Statistical Office.

4,616,041 were in primary school, 2,275,407 in lower secondary, 2,030,286 in upper secondary and 2,056,057 in higher education. Pre-primary enrolment fell from 1,815,370 in 2018 to 1,507,912 in 2022, reflecting the fall in births. Newer totals could not be read on the Ministry of Education website on 15 October 2026.

Official sources: NSO: students in the school system by level, 2018-2022 (Excel)

How many people in Thailand go to university?

Gross enrolment in tertiary education in Thailand was 49.1% in 2025, up from 45.0% in 2024, according to the World Bank World Development Indicators, which use UNESCO Institute for Statistics data.

The rate compares the number of students in universities and colleges with the population in the five-year age group after secondary school. It rises when there are fewer young people as well as when more of them study. In 2022, 2,056,057 students were enrolled in higher education, according to NSO figures.

Official sources: World Bank: tertiary enrolment, Thailand · NSO: students in the school system by level, 2018-2022 (Excel)

How many children in Thailand finish primary school?

Thailand's primary completion rate was 107.1% in 2025, according to the World Bank World Development Indicators, which use UNESCO Institute for Statistics data.

The rate compares the number of pupils entering the last grade of primary school with the number of children of that age. It can exceed 100% when older pupils who started late or repeated a year are included, so it does not mean every child completes primary school. Gross secondary enrolment was 92.1% in 2025, according to the World Bank.

Official sources: World Bank: primary completion rate, Thailand · World Bank: secondary enrolment, Thailand

How much does Thailand spend on education?

Government spending on education in Thailand was 2.52% of GDP in 2023, down from 3.15% in 2020, according to the World Bank World Development Indicators, which use UNESCO data.

The figure covers spending by all levels of government on schools, universities and other education. It was 2.98% in 2021 and 2.61% in 2022, so the share has fallen three years in a row. Spending by families on private schools and tutoring is not included.

Official sources: World Bank: government expenditure on education, Thailand

How many children in Thailand go to secondary school?

In 2025, gross secondary school enrolment in Thailand was 92.1%, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. The peak was 124.3% in 2015 and the low 71.6% in 2006.

How many people in Thailand go to university?

According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, gross tertiary enrolment in Thailand was 49.1% in 2025. The peak was 52.7% in 2011 and the low 42.6% in 2020.

What is Thailand's literacy rate?

According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, the adult literacy rate in Thailand was 91.1% in 2022. It is the bottom of the series, which starts in 2005. It is 5th highest of 7 in East Asia & Pacific, where the median is 95.8%. Worldwide: 21st of 44.

What is Thailand's education spending?

According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, government spending on education in Thailand was 2.5% of GDP in 2023. No year since 2005 has been lower. It is 15th highest of 20 in East Asia & Pacific, where the median is 3.8% of GDP. Of 112 countries with 2023 data, 88th highest.

What is the pupil-teacher ratio in Thailand?

17: that is the number of primary pupils per teacher in Thailand for 2018, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Its high point since 2006 was 2006, at 18; its low point was 2014, at 15. It is 10th highest of 13 in East Asia & Pacific, where the median is 20. World rank, highest first: 59th of 85.

What share of children in Thailand finish primary school?

The UNESCO Institute for Statistics puts the primary completion rate in Thailand at 107.1% in 2025. That is the highest since at least 2017.