The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Although the current fertility rate is 1.9 per cent, the Prime Minister Lyonchhen (Dr) Lotay Tshering said that it is not alarming. “Considering the death rate at least 2.2 to 2.3 fertility rate is needed for a couple. The current fertility rate is 1.9 per cent is a natural trend in a developing country,” he said.
He said, “As the country develops, because of higher living standards, higher cost of health care and education, this is a natural trend and we don’t need to come up with the strategy to increase the population. The Health Ministry will go slow with the permanent family planning method like tubectomy and vasectomy. The current rate is okay and there isn’t much need to worry about”.
Foreign Minister Lyonpo Tandin Dorji, said, “From population demographic point of view, the population graph is in a spindle shape, so middle age group from 15 to 45 years is still the largest section of the population. So we will face that situation 20 years from now but we are going to give 20 years time for this young group of people to have more children”.
He said, “In order to encourage young people to have more child, we have to give them economic security. So we have to invest now and all our pledges are directed towards that.”
