Fertility rate too low

Fertility rate too low

An extremely low fertility rate has become a critical issue in Thailand but the government has yet to address the problem.

Last week, Tunyawat Somjaitaweeporn, director of the Innovation Center for Robotics and Automation System at Panyapiwat Institute of Management, revealed that data compiled from the National Statistical Office shows that Thailand's birth rate hit a record low in 2021 with only 540,000 newborns, compared to 900,000-1,000,000 during 1993-1996.

It is also the first time that the number of newborns was lower than the number of deaths which was 563,650.

The drastic decline in the birth rate comes seven years earlier than expected, ringing alarm bells about the country's population and workforce.

Thailand's low fertility rate has been evident for several years.

The fertility rate reached an extremely low 1.5 per woman in 2000, lower than the threshold set by the World Health Organisation at 2.1.

An increasing number of middle-class people do not own an excessive amount of assets but still have to survive in a competitive society, and for them it is expensive to raise a child. This is why people are thinking twice before embarking on parenthood.

Thailand's fertility rate, once a heady 5.1, has declined all the way down to 1.5. Worse still, the country has yet to deal with the problem.

According to the Royal Thai College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, without any intervention, the rate is forecast to fall further to 1.3 in less than a decade.

The extremely low of fertility rate has created two problems: a rapidly ageing society and skill shortfalls in the workforce, resulting in an influx of migrant workers.

Unfortunately, the country lacks structural policy and direction to deal with the problem.

A day after the report on the record low of newborns, the National Health Security Office (NHSO) announced it would provide free condoms and birth control pills for people aged 15 and above.

The offer aims to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies, especially among teenagers.

It also aims to promote safe sex but at a time when the country's extremely low birth rate should be treated as a national agenda item, the office's project appears short-sighted.

Previously, the Public Health Ministry announced a campaign to increase the birth rate by giving away iron and folic acid supplements to women aged between 20 and 34.

The ministry also came up with activities to promote dating among singles and reproductive health among married couples who don't yet have children. Unfortunately, such superficial campaigns did not bear fruit.

The low birth rate will severely affect Thailand which still has a long way to go to shift the country from an assembly-driven economy to an innovation and technology-driven economy.

In the short term, the government needs to come up with clearer policies concerning treatment of migrant workers who play an important role in the workforce.

But most importantly, the problem has to be tackled at a structural level, by seeking ways to increase the birth rate. The government needs to come up with clearer policies that benefit parents and children if they really want people to reproduce.

The issue needs to be placed on the national agenda and tangible solutions to handle the impact implemented urgently.

Editorial

Bangkok Post editorial column

These editorials represent Bangkok Post thoughts about current issues and situations.

Email : anchaleek@bangkokpost.co.th

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