THE health department chief of Thailand encouraged each Thai family to conceive at least two babies as the United Nations celebrates World Population Day on Tuesday.
According to the director-general of the Department of Health, there had been at least one million births in Thailand each year from 1963 to 1983.
The birthrate however fell to 502,107 in 2022 and is likely to be below 500,000 this year.
The health department also raised alarm about the rising number of elderly citizens.
In 2021, Thailand became an aged society after people who were 60 years old and above accounted for about 20% of the country’s total population.
If the trend continues, senior citizens will make up 30 percent of Thailand’s population, making it a hyper-aged society.
Thailand’s health chief said falling birthrates are also observed in 120 other countries including Japan, Singapore, China, Vietnam, and South Korea.
