Nation Thailand
Thai Women Out-Study Men, Yet Four in Ten Remain Outside the Workforce, UN Report Finds
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A UN profile says women’s workforce participation has barely moved in two decades, as unpaid care and an ageing population weigh on Thai growth.
Key facts
- In 2024, 51.6% of women in the relevant age group were enrolled in higher education, against 38.6% of men.
- Among working-age women who have left the labour market, 87.3% give unpaid domestic work as the reason, compared with 16.3% of men, according to 2019 data.
- Estimates from 2022 suggest at least 30% of children who should be covered by childcare are not
- Women hold 19.8% of House seats and 22.5% of Senate seats after the February 2026 elections
- On the latest figures, 58.9% of women aged 15 to 64 take part in the labour market, against 74.7% of men
- Women earn about 6% less than men with similar qualifications, a small gap by global standards, helped by legal protection for equal pay.
Summary
Women of the nation
Thai women are better educated than Thai men, yet far fewer of them are in the workforce. On the latest figures, 58.9% of women aged 15 to 64 take part in the labour market, against 74.7% of men. That is a gap of nearly 16 percentage points, and it has barely moved in two decades.