Population Ageing and Healthy Life Expectancy in Thailand

During the past several decades, Thailand has experienced a significant demographic transition from high to low of fertility and mortality. The United Nations has reported that the total fertility rate in Thailand has declined from over 6 births per woman in the mid 1960s to 1.8 in the period 2005-2010 and during the same period, life expectancy at birth increased from 56 years to 66 years for men and 60 years to 72 years for women. A major consequence of this rapid demographic transition is population ageing. This process will accelerate in the next two decades. The National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) of Thailand projects that in 2005 the population of persons aged 65+ was 4.5 million and that by 2025 population aged 65+ will increase to 9.8 million. Furthermore, there will be ageing within the older population, because life expectancy after 65 is improving. While life expectancy represents average length of life, the continued rise in life expectancy does not quantify the health status. Increasing longevity can also result in rising demands for health services and health care costs. Healthy life expectancy has been used to present the average life time in different health states. The aim of this study is to investigate changes in health expectancy in Thailand. The data on health status are derived from Surveys of Elderly in Thailand 2002 and 2007. The life table data are obtained from Thailand vital registration. The life expectancy in self-rated good health and disability free life expectancy were calculated using Sullivan’s method. The results indicate that the life expectancy had increased both for men and women between the period 2002 and 2007. However, the self-rated good health was stagnating whereas the disability free life expectancy was increased and the increase in the disability free life expectancy was greater than the life expectancy gain. As a result, the increase in life expectancy among the elderly Thai appear to be accompanied by improved health status when a measure of disability based on activities of daily living is used.