And while this causes concern about their welfare and prospects in life, it also raises alarm about the future of the kingdom’s society as a whole, which is ageing rapidly.
The study conducted by the NESDC and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund is based on data collected between 2005 and 2016 to prepare the Child Multidimensional Poverty Index, or “Child MPI”. It found that child poverty rates were higher in rural areas than urban areas , with the highest rates found in the Northeast region, followed by the North region, while the lowest rate was in Bangkok.
The multidimensional poverty level was also found to vary among different age groups. Children from the youngest age group were more likely to be poor, while adolescents from age group were facing more severe levels of poverty than younger children, according to the findings. Children aged three or younger had few books to read while many of those who are older do not go to school, he said, citing figures from the Child MPI.
As Thailand becomes an ageing society, improving child wellbeing will contribute to the quality of human capital in the future.