ANN/THE STRAITS TIMES – Thailand is grappling with a looming demographic crisis, with experts suggesting that the country’s population will shrink by half over the next six decades.
This alarming decline has sparked calls for making childbirth part of the national agenda.
Multiple factors contribute to the dropping birth rates in Thailand, including economic, societal, educational and environmental concerns that deter people from having children. Health-related issues account for only 10 per cent of the decrease.
Public Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew said the decline in Thailand’s birth rates has hit critical levels.
The number of newborns has dropped from more than one million a year from 1963 to 1983, to just 485,085 newborns versus 550,042 deaths in 2021. This resulted in a net population decrease of 64,957 that year.
