SOCIETY
CHATRUDEE THEPARAT
The number of poor people in the country dropped last year, but problems affecting the fabric of society rose, according to the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB). The number of people across the nation classified by the NESDB as poor in the study declined on a year-on-year basis from 6.1 million to 5.4 million last year when the 10th five-year National Economic and Social Development Plan was introduced, it said.
Somchai Sakdawekeeisorn, director of the NESDB's Development Evaluation and Communication Office said that the continued growth in the economy, albeit at a slower pace, boosted people's income, which brought down the figure for the number of poor.
The poverty line, according to the study, was 1,443 baht per head per month during 2007, up from 1,386 baht in the previous year.
Economic growth slowed from 5.1% in 2006 to 4.8% last year.
However, the income gap between the top 20% of the richest people and the poorest 20% of poor people improved. It narrowed to 8.6 times in 2007, down from 9.9 times in 2006.
Although there were fewer poor people in the country, the statistics also showed that the fabric of society underwent a deterioration.
The divorce rate has increased to 4.35 cases per 1,000 families in 2007, compared with 4.27 cases per 1,000 families in 2006.
The youth crime rate was also up to 5.39 cases per 1,000 people, from 5.05 cases for every 1000 people in 2006 and 3.76 cases per 1,000 people in 2002, the first year of the ninth plan.
The number of elderly people living alone also increased to 7.4 % of the total elderly population in 2007, up from 7.2% in 2006 and just 6.6% in 2002.
Mr Somchai said that the figures should encourage the authorities to concentrate more on the country's social problems during the last three years of the national plan.
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