Thailand’s population sees slight drop to 66 million in 2023

Thailand’s official population count witnessed a slight downtrend in 2023, marking a 0.06% decrease in comparison to the previous year’s figure, revealed the Interior Ministry. The recent civil registration documented Thailand’s population as 66,052,615 as of the close of 2023, marking a decline by 37,860 individuals from the conclusion of 2022.

The data showed that out of the total population count, 5.47 million resided in the nation’s capital, Bangkok. Breaking down the total population, there were 65,061,190 individuals of Thai nationality, while 991,425 were non-Thai nationals. The gender distribution within the population showed 32,224,008 males and 33,828,607 females, reported Bangkok Post.

The population data further revealed the top five most populated provinces in Thailand:

1. Bangkok, with a population of 5,471,588,
2. Nakhon Ratchasima, with a population of 2,625,794,
3. Ubon Ratchathani, with 1,869,608 residents,
4. Chiang Mai, with a population of 1,797,074, and
5. Khon Kaen, with a population of 1,779,373.

Apart from Bangkok, Thailand has 20 provinces with a population exceeding 1 million. On the other end of the scale, Samut Songkram carries the title of the least populated province, with a total of 187,993 residents, according to the Interior Ministry’s spokeswoman, Traisuree Taisaranakul.

In related news, Thailand’s population is predicted to plummet by half over the ensuing six decades due to a mounting fertility crisis. This alarming situation has spurred the Ministry of Public Health to instigate measures to encourage pregnancy and subsequently manage the drastic demographic shift that the country is poised to face.

The Public Health Minister, Cholnan Srikaew, highlighted on October 30 that every province in Thailand is susceptible to the repercussions of this demographic alteration. Currently, the fertility rate for Thai women stands at an average of 1.16, indicating that a woman has approximately 1.16 children throughout her lifetime. An exception to this trend is observed in Yala province, which reports a fertility rate of 2.27.

The declining fertility rate was first observed in 1993, with a recorded rate of 2.1. This decline coincides with a decrease in the number of births. In the span from 1963 to 1983, the average annual births were around one million.