The number of poor people in Thailand has risen to 3.43 million

The 2024 report on poverty and Inequality in Thailand shows that the number of poor people has increased to 3.43 million, accounting for 4.89% of the country's total population, up from 3.41% in 2023. The poverty line was also raised in 2024, from the original monthly income of 3,043 Thai Baht to 3,078 Thai baht.

China News Service quoted a report released by Thailand's National Economic and Social Development Council on Wednesday (September 17) as saying that although the overall poverty situation in Thailand has continued to improve over the past few years, the increase in the number of poor people in 2024 has sounded the alarm for Thailand, especially during a period when the global and domestic economies are facing high uncertainties due to multiple factors. This situation deserves more attention.

Meanwhile, poverty is mobile. People may switch between a "poor" and a "non-poor" state due to economic, social structural factors or natural disasters. In 2024, the number of people vulnerable to poverty in Thailand rose at all levels. Among them, the number of people in the "extremely poor group" (those whose consumption expenditure is more than 20% below the poverty line) reached 879,000, and the number of people in the "mildly poor group" increased to 2.55 million.

The report also points out that agricultural labor force remains the group most vulnerable to poverty, accounting for 45.49% of the total poor population. This reflects the structural vulnerability of the agricultural sector, as farmers mainly rely on production income, which is highly susceptible to weather and fluctuations in agricultural product prices. Climate change has led a large number of farmers to fall back into poverty when the agricultural economy is in decline.