Demographic Trends In Thailand Essay, Research Paper

Introduction

Thailand is a large country in Southeastern Asia. This predominantly Buddhist country is twice as long (North to South) as it is wide (East to West). Nearly one fourth of the country s 61 million people live in urban areas and one tenth of the country s population live in Bangkok, the capital city. In this essay I will discuss population trends in Thailand in relation to those of the United States and how they affect the countries as a whole.

Data Analysis

According to statistics provided by the United States Bureau the population of the US is over four times greater than that of Thailand. The United States also has significantly lower Natural Rate of Increase, Crude Birth Rate and Infant Mortality Rate. Americans live longer on average than people in Thailand and have a higher Dependency Ratio, however, that is because over twenty percent of the population cannot work.

Currently Thailand has around 61 million citizens, the majority of whom are between the ages of 15 and 45. Thailand has a population density of 119 persons per sq km (309 per sq mi), one of the lowest in Asia. Most Thai live in rural areas and probably make their living in some way from the Gulf of Thailand. Today Thailand s Population Pyramid is mostly convex. Just over fifty of the population of Thailand is capable of working, yielding a forty-three percent Dependency Ratio. Thailand suffers from most of the same problems as other major metropolitan areas, with many young men and women moving into the city seeking employment only to find there is none available. This major influx of people has led to a strain on the city s resources such as housing and public health-facilities. Thailand is also plagued by constant traffic congestion, people living in slums and prostitution. With an annual rate of population growth of 0.9 percent, Thailand’s population is expected to double in 61 years. However, family size is falling. The Thai have a long tradition of family planning and the use of contraception, which partly reflects the fact that women gain status through their ability to trade rather than through family size. Today the birthrate is about 17 births per 1,000 people, and the average number of children per woman was 1.8. The proportion of the Thai population that is elderly has grown in recent decades, with 6 percent of the population age 65 or older in 2000. This number is expected to reach 14 percent by 2025. By the year 2025 the Crude Birth Rate in Thailand will have lowered and the bulk of the population will be over 35. By 2050 the Population Pyramid will have straightened out for the most part, forming a column-like shape. The poverty level should have lowered significantly (from today s high level).

Today in the United States we have over 275 million people, the third highest in the world, with a Natural Rate of Increase of six tenths of a percent. The majority of our population is over 30, thanks to the Baby Boom during the 50 s, which is good because we have such a high Dependency Ratio. Today our Population Pyramid is convex with a huge difference between the largest cohort (40-44) and the smallest (85+). By 2025 the pyramid evens out leaving not much difference between any of the cohorts from 0-4 to 65-69. Finally, by 2050 the pyramid is once again convex, this time in a consistent arch from 0-4 to 80-84. Since the United States has such a low Natural Rate of Increase and low Crude Birth Rate it will take about 116 years for the population to double.

Discussion & Conclusion

These statistics and Population Pyramids indicate that Thailand is a developing country (also known as a Third World Country), while the US is a well developed country. This means that Thailand is economically and technologically less developed than the United States, or any other industrialized country. This is evidenced by the fact that the US s pyramids projections remain mostly consistent over the 50 year period, and Thailand s seem to flatten out as time progresses.