Thailand Faces Aging Crisis as Deaths Exceed Births for Fifth Year
Thailand's deaths outnumbered births for the fifth straight year in 2025, with fertility rates collapsing to 0.86 children per woman, prompting the National Savings Fund to urge informal workers and young people to build personal pensions t
The National Savings Fund (NSF) has disclosed alarming trends in Thailand's population structure, revealing that the country is in a critical "more deaths than births" phase for the fifth consecutive year. With only 416,574 newborns compared to 559,684 deaths in 2568 (2025), Thailand faces a deficit of 143,110 people. The total fertility rate has plummeted to just 0.86 children per woman, far below the internationally recognized replacement level. Samut Songkhram province leads the crisis with fewer than 600 births annually, followed by Chai Nat (986) and Sing Buri (1,010). This demographic collapse means each working-age person will eventually support multiple elderly citizens, threatening the traditional model of relying on children for retirement. The NSF urges informal workers, freelancers, merchants, farmers, and students aged 15-60 to build personal pensions through its program, which offers government matching contributions up to 100%, tax deductions of up to 30,000 baht annually, and government-guaranteed returns. Contributors can start with as little as 50 baht per deposit, with flexibility to save more or less depending on income. The NSF accepts applications and contributions through its mobile app, myAIS, TrueMoney, district offices nationwide, five state banks, and 7-Eleven counters throughout the country.
