BANGKOK – Thailand’s total fertility rate (TFR) has dropped to lowest ever below 600,000 for the first time and took the country’s TFR down to 1.51, which is extremely low.
According to the World Health Organization and World Bank, if a country’s TFR goes under 2.1, its proportion of elderly will surge and problems associated with migrant workers will rise.
Dr Kamthorn Pruksananonda, chairman of a sub-committee on reproductive medicine at the Royal Thai College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said Thailand’s TFR used to be 5.1 and without any intervention, the 1.5 rate is forecast to fall further to 1.3 in less than a decade. (NNT)
