Thailand is becoming an ultra-aged society, says new study

A recent report from Thailand's Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) reveals that there are now 13.6 million Thais aged 60 or older, while the number of children under 15 has decreased to 9.5 million.

The findings, based on data from the Department of Provincial Administration, highlight a stark regional disparity in population trends, according to The Nation.

The north and central regions, the latter home to Bangkok, have the highest aging indexes, with several provinces showing a noticeably larger elderly population than children. These regions are classified as "clearly aged," indicating a complete demographic shift. The northeast also has a growing elderly population, primarily due to low birth rates and the migration of working-age individuals. This area is predicted to soon become a "super-aged society."

In contrast, the eastern region has a larger working-age population and a lower percentage of elderly people. The western and southern border provinces, such as Tak, Kanchanaburi, Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat, remain among the few areas where the youth population outnumbers the elderly.

GISTDA warns that this demographic change is not just a matter of an aging population but also signals a deeper issue of declining birth rates, which could have significant impacts on the country's workforce, economy, and social welfare systems in the future.

The World Health Organization said in a 2023 report that Thailand is among the fastest-aging countries in the world.

Of its 67 million population that year, 12 million Thais were elderly.

Since 2005, the country has been classified as an "aged society" as people aged 60 years and above accounted for 10% of the population. It is expected that the country's elderly population will increase to 28%, and that Thailand will become a "super-aged society" by the next decade, according to WHO.

The organization said with advances in the healthcare system, the number and proportion of people aged 60 years and older are on the rise both in Thailand and globally.

In 2019, more than one billion people worldwide were over the age of 60. This number is expected to increase to 1.4 billion by 2030 and 2.1 billion by 2050.