Slumping birth rate poses urgent policy challenges for government

[webfact]

The average Thai family has only 1.3 children while it should have two or more, but many factors are behind the sliding birth rate, such as the modern lifestyle, the choice to remain single, or couples choosing not to have children. (Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP)

 

By Thai PBS World’s Business Desk

 

Thailand’s sliding birth rate, which hit a record low last year, is ringing alarm bells in the corridors of government. The long-term socioeconomic consequences of this phenomenon are being fully grasped at various levels, prompting the government to seek urgent measures to boost the birth rate.

 

Many state agencies are looking for new incentives to encourage singles to marry and for couples to have children.

 

Alarming low birth rate

 

Thailand has been entering an aging society since 2005, due to the declining fertility rate and the improving healthcare system which is helping people live longer.

 

Thailand’s total fertility rate (TFR) dropped to just 1.5 last year from 2 in 1995, and the number of newborns was the lowest in years at around 540,000 compared to 820,000 in 1995.

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-03-07

 

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Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/slumping-birth-rate-poses-urgent-policy-challenges-for-government/

 

 

[shady86]

This country still prefers quantity over quality.

[ThailandRyan]

Looks like it will be time to pay the girls to get knocked-up and then give them a stipend to raise the kid if they want the birthrate to go up.......

[In Full Agreement]

 

Slumping does not equate to urgent.

[Will B Good]

Had four (to the best of my knowledge) and not a single stretch mark......so feel I've done my bit.

[Dmaxdan]

Obviously Thais haven't been using the recent lockdowns productively... 

[ThailandRyan]

11 minutes ago, Dmaxdan said:

Obviously Thais haven't been using the recent lockdowns productively... 

Unlike in the west when we are snowed in we play the hide the sausage game and then 9 months later we end up with a baby boom...

[Tropicalevo]

Locking up the youngsters for having different views to the oldies is not going to help to increase the birth rate.

[Bluespunk]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Many state agencies are looking for new incentives to encourage singles to marry and for couples to have children.

Ah huh... If the state agencies are as efficient here as in other areas should we expect a serious decline in birth numbers over the next few years?

Edited March 7, 2022 by Bluespunk

[khunPer]

Seems to happen all over the World when children's status change from being labor to expenses...

[ChrisY1]

They'll just lower the age of consent.....!

February 14 is not so long past...let's wait a few months and there just might be an increase:)

[ukrules]

I've always wondered why a drop in the birth rate is considered a 'bad thing' at a time when there's record number of people alive in the world and increased automation over the many decades since the 50's and 60's requires far less 'workers'.

 

Population growth won't continue forever yet they're acting as if it should be accelerating, always seemed odd to me.

 

When I was a kid back in the 80's we were taught that there were about 4.5 Billion people alive and that was considered a crisis of population growth, now it's closer to 8 Billion and they're complaining it's not growing fast enough.

 

If anything there are too many people, I suspect they need more people to both rule over and reap increased taxes, therefore making a government feel more important and wealthy.

 

Have more children to increasingly empower and enrich your government, that's what it comes down to.

[ThailandRyan]

6 minutes ago, ukrules said:

I've always wondered why a drop in the birth rate is considered a 'bad thing' at a time when there's record number of people alive in the world and increased automation over the many decades since the 50's and 60's requires far less 'workers'.

 

Population growth won't continue forever yet they're acting as if it should be accelerating, always seemed odd to me.

 

When I was a kid back in the 80's we were taught that there were about 4.5 Billion people alive and that was considered a crisis of population growth, now it's closer to 8 Billion and they're complaining it's not growing fast enough.

 

If anything there are too many people, I suspect they need more people to both rule over and reap increased taxes, therefore making a government feel more important and wealthy.

 

Have more children to increasingly empower and enrich your government, that's what it comes down to.

Boils down to not having any lower class Thai folks to work the fields.....

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The average Thai family has only 1.3 children while it should have two or more, but many factors are behind the sliding birth rate, such as the modern lifestyle, the choice to remain single, or couples choosing not to have children.

Or no bloody money!

[ukrules]

10 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Boils down to not having any lower class Thai folks to work the fields.....

There's plenty of people to work the fields, farming has changed a lot over the last 30 to 60 years.

 

With an ever decreasing population you won't require as much output anyway so it's a self healing problem especially when you add in newer technological advances.

 

[Purdey]

For years I have heard of fears that new technology will do the work of many people. Now we gave a period of fewer work age people no one mentions technology

 

[ivor bigun]

As a country becomes more advanced and living in the present the birth rate tends to fall ,those that still live in the past tend to have more and more children also if one race or religion wants to take over they tend to breed faster and have more children .

[userabcd]

People are more educated now and many know about contraception and dont want their lifestyles disrupted for too long by having many children.

 

Also a great part lies with cost and children are expensive.

 

Govt sees children as future economic earners and tax payers.

[Isaan sailor]

Lotsa new babies in my Isaan village.  But I had nothing to do with it…

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

Catholicism will fix this.

[Road Warrior]

bring back the bar'ladies' !!!  to help out !!

[placeholder]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

Or no bloody money!

I think it's clear that the sharp drop in 2020 was due to the fact that lots of people are either out of work or living on reduced incomes.

[zzaa09]

3 hours ago, ukrules said:

I've always wondered why a drop in the birth rate is considered a 'bad thing' at a time when there's record number of people alive in the world and increased automation over the many decades since the 50's and 60's requires far less 'workers'.

 

Population growth won't continue forever yet they're acting as if it should be accelerating, always seemed odd to me.

 

When I was a kid back in the 80's we were taught that there were about 4.5 Billion people alive and that was considered a crisis of population growth, now it's closer to 8 Billion and they're complaining it's not growing fast enough.

 

If anything there are too many people, I suspect they need more people to both rule over and reap increased taxes, therefore making a government feel more important and wealthy.

 

Have more children to increasingly empower and enrich your government, that's what it comes down to.

Or.....a more solid inquiry as to why government requires itself to part of our every breathing moment and general existence. 

[hotchilli]

20 hours ago, webfact said:

The long-term socioeconomic consequences of this phenomenon are being fully grasped at various levels, prompting the government to seek urgent measures to boost the birth rate

How about increasing work opportunities so parents can afford another child?

A family who during the pandemic were made redundant or working less hours are very unlikely to have another child.

Another baby means another mouth to feed, clothe and eventually send to school.

Those leaving University would normally seek employment and then go on to have a child, now they can't even find work...

sending them to Saudi sorts out some of the unemployment but not the birth rate.

This government is clueless.

 

[burger1]

On 3/7/2022 at 3:56 AM, Dmaxdan said:

Obviously Thais haven't been using the recent lockdowns productively... 

Maybe they should try shutting down Television.