The total population of the BMR was approximately 8.5 million in 1988, of which 5.7 million, or 67.2 percent were in the BMA. Although the population growth rate has fallen over the past 18 years to an annual percentage of 1 percent.

In the BMR the level of urbanization, expressed s the proportion of the BMR population living in urban areas to the total population has increased 71.5 percent in 1970 to 81.5 percent in 1986. However, the level of urbanization within the BMR was quite different. In 1986 the BMA was the most urbanized area with a level of urbanization at 100 percent, followed by the Samut Prakarn at 51.4 percent. In the other four areas, the level of urbanization was less than 50 percent. It has been estimated that by 2001, the proportion of the urban population to the total population in all provinces except Nkhon Patom, will be more that 50 percent. The BMA will remain the most urbanized with a level of 100 percent. Overall, during the next decade, most of the areas in the BMR are expected to become considerably urbanized. It is also projected that in the next decade, the population BMA's saturates urban areas and the rural fringes will experience little change. Most of the population growth will occur in the fast -growing urban and transitional areas.