Population decline: Thailand’s birth rate hits 75-year low
Mahidol University highlighted a significant demographic issue as Thailand recorded fewer than 500,000 births in a year for the first time in 75 years.
In 2024, the country registered only 462,240 births, a marked decrease from 519,000 in 2023. Associate Professor Chalermpol Chamchan from Mahidol’s Institute for Population and Social Research noted that this is the fourth consecutive year where deaths have exceeded births, underscoring a serious demographic challenge.
Thailand’s total fertility rate has dropped to 1.0, which is lower than Japan’s 1.2 and comparable to South Korea and Singapore. Projections suggest that Thailand’s population could decrease from 66 million to 40 million over the next 50 years, with the workforce potentially reducing by 15 million.
Although the government has initiated campaigns such as Have Children for the Nation, public sentiment remains cautious. Only 35.8% of individuals surveyed expressed a definite intention to have children, while 29.9% indicated they might consider it.
Chalermpol stressed the importance of policies targeting those undecided about parenthood, suggesting that effective support could increase the percentage of committed parents to over 60%. Without immediate action, Thailand could face a labour shortage and long-term socio-economic consequences, reported The Pattaya News.
Thailand is now ranked among the top three countries globally experiencing the most significant decline in birth rates, with an 81% drop over the past 74 years. This dramatic decrease has seen Thailand surpass Japan in this regard, highlighting a widespread global issue of shrinking populations.
Various factors such as economic conditions, environmental pollution, and living conditions are making people less inclined to have children.
In 2023, Thailand’s official population count witnessed a slight downtrend, marking a 0.06% decrease in comparison to the previous year’s figure, revealed the Interior Ministry. The civil registration documented Thailand’s population as 66,052,615 as of the close of 2023, marking a decline by 37,860 individuals from the conclusion of 2022.
The data showed that out of the total population count, 5.47 million resided in the nation’s capital, Bangkok. Breaking down the total population, there were 65,061,190 individuals of Thai nationality, while 991,425 were non-Thai nationals.
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