Thailand is home to the most motorcyclists in the world

The Pew Research Centre reported that Thailand has the most motorcyclists in the world. Similarly, most victims of road accidents in the country are riding motorcycles.

If you’ve ever visited Vietnam, you might have noticed the abundance of motorbikes on the road, especially in Ho Chi Minh City. It may lead you to believe that Vietnam has the highest number of motorcyclists in the world.

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However, a recent report by the Pew Research Centre indicates that Thailand takes the lead in terms of motorbike ridership globally. According to the report, 87% of households in Thailand own at least one motorbike, beating Vietnam by only a sliver, where 86% of households own a motorcycle.

Top ten countries with the most motorcycle users in the world

  • Thailand – 87% of households own a motorcycle
  • Vietnam – 86% of households own a motorcycle
  • Indonesia – 85% of households own a motorcycle
  • Malaysia – 83% of households own a motorcycle
  • China – 60% of households own a motorcycle
  • India – 47% of households own a motorcycle
  • Pakistan – 43% of households own a motorcycle
  • Nigeria – 35% of households own a motorcycle
  • Philippines – 32% of households own a motorcycle
  • Brazil – 29% of households own a motorcycle

House Power also reported a similar study on motorcycle usage conducted by the World Health Organisation, which goes in a similar direction. The countries outlined in that study with high motorbike usage include Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines.

The high demand for motorcycles in Thailand was attributed to heavy traffic and challenging road conditions in the country.

Unfortunately, motorcyclists are the biggest victims of Thailand’s perilous roads. The Bike Republic website reports that Thailand has the most motorcycle accidents globally, with over 74% of road accidents involving a motorcycle.

According to the latest update by the Thai Safety Collaboration (Thai RSC), 2,601 victims have died this year in road accidents in Thailand, with 79% of them being motorcycle users.

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In January alone, 75 foreigners were killed in road accidents in Thailand.

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Petch Petpailin

Petpailin, or Petch, is a Thai translator and writer for The Thaiger who focuses on translating breakingThai news stories into English. With a background in field journalism, Petch brings several years of experience to the English News desk at The Thaiger. Before joining The Thaiger, Petch worked as a content writer for several known blogging sites in Bangkok, including Happio and The Smart Local. Her articles have been syndicated by many big publishers in Thailand and internationally, including the Daily Mail, The Sun and the Bangkok Post. She is a news writer who stops reading news on the weekends to spend more time cafe hopping and petting dwarf shrimp! But during office hours, you can find Petch on LinkedIn and you can reach her by email at petch@thethaiger.com.

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