Birth rate plunge triggers health minister’s urgent action plan

The national birth rate in Thailand is on a steep decline, prompting urgent action from the country’s Minister of Public Health Chonlanan Srikaew. He plans to push fertility to the forefront of the country’s national agenda, aiming for swift implementation within 100 days as part of the ministry’s “quick win” policies.

Chonlanan revealed after Friday’s executive meeting that the current birth rate is significantly lower than the ideal rate of 2.1 per 100,000 population. At present, Thailand is witnessing only 1.5 births per 100,000, resulting in a sizable deficit. Instead of the expected 2 million newborns each year, Thailand is seeing only about 500,000 births each year.

This decline in fertility can potentially lead to a decrease in the working-age adult population and a 20% rise in the number of senior citizens. This demographic…