There's also the problem of babies, or rather the lack of them. Thailand's fertility rate from 2010-15 is
estimated at 1.4 by the United Nations Population Fund compared with 3.4 in the Philippines. Plus, its
population aged 60 and above rose to about 15% last year from under 7% in 1994, so there are more
people retiring and fewer joining the workforce. In comparison, Japan, where more than a quarter of the
population is over 65, has a jobless rate of above 3%.