Minister raises alarm over Thailand’s dropping birth rate, ageing population
Thailand needs comprehensive policies to tackle potential economic and societal challenges presented by the changing population structure, Social Development and Human Security Minister Varawut Silpa-archa warned recently.
He was speaking at a workshop titled “Enabling Thai Family Stability in Overcoming the Population Crisis” at Bangkok’s Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre on March 7.
At the gathering, Varawut pointed out that the ageing population will pose a serious risk to Thailand’s workforce, bringing down economic activities, human security as well as the general well-being of the Thai population.
The minister said that if these demographic issues persist, then by 2037 Thailand’s proportion of children will drop to 14.3% and the elderly population will rise to 29.85%. He also warned that at this rate Thailand’s population will drop by half to just about 32 million people in the next 60 years.
To avoid these challenges, the minister called on Thais to have more children to boost population numbers, and eventually productivity.
However, he admitted that most Thais prefer not to have children due to uncertainty, changing work patterns and inconsistent income.
The younger generation does not want children because everything, from housing and transportation to the general cost of living is so expensive, he said. Besides, he added, the economic plight resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic has also contributed to the decision to stay single and childless.
“At the end of the day, it’s not just a matter of getting two individuals living together to create babies,” he said. However, Varawut warned that the choice of not having children does not just contribute to a decline in population, but also prevents the country from transitioning into a high-income economy. With a declining workforce, businesses and markets will shrink, productivity will fall and eventually, Thailand will get stuck in the middle-income trap, with little social and economic progress, the minister said.
To overcome these challenges, Varawut said, the government needs to come up with comprehensive policies that will equip people with the necessary skills and knowledge, allowing them to be part of today’s workforce.
He also announced that his ministry will launch a white paper called “Developing Thai Families to Strengthen Human Security”, which will be presented to the Cabinet next month. The white paper will also feature at the United Nation’s 57th session of the Commission on Population and Development held from April 29 to May 3.
