KhmerTimes-June 28, 2024
A senior official at the Ministry of Planning is concerned that the number of elderly people will outnumber the younger population one day, while government policy outlines strategies to boost future births among Cambodians. Poch Bunnak, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Planning, said that by 2050 it is estimated that Cambodia will have a population of over 22 million, of which 3.4 million are expected to be under 15 years old, which is equivalent to 16% of the total population. People aged 15-years-old to 65-years-old are estimated to number 14.7 million people according to current projections, which is equivalent to 67% of the total population. He pointed out that according to the current projections for 2050, they estimate that there will be 3.7 million people who are aged 65 or older, which is equivalent to 17% of the population. Thus, by 2050 Cambodia will have reached a stage where a larger percentage of the population is over the age of 65 rather than under the age of 16. “Cambodia is concerned that by 2050, the elderly population will gradually outnumber the younger generation. So the government is developing a population policy strategy to boost future births,” he said. In April, Prime Minister Hun Manet encouraged people to have more children to increase the number of young people in Cambodia because a growing population almost always indicates a growing economy. The Prime Minister said that the National Population Policy 2016–2030 is based on the principle of recognizing and supporting the right of all spouses and individuals to have the basic right to decide freely and be responsible for the number of children they choose to have as well as making sure everyone has access to contraception, even though the premier personally encourages people to have more children. Read more at: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501513593/official-raises-concern-over-kingdoms-ageing-population/
