Thailand Launches New 'Magic Pills' to Increase Declining Birth Rates

The country's government came up with the idea, as previous incentives to encourage people to have more children proved unsuccessful.

Thai authorities adopted a new strategy on Valentine's Day in order to increase the country's birth rate, media reported.

While the country had unsuccessfully tried various financial incentives to urge people to have more kids, Thai officials have now started handing out the so called "magic pills", which in fact contain just vitamins and minerals like folic acid and iron.

The pills were distributed in six locations in Bangkok, accompanied with leaflets about healthy lifestyles and pregnancy.

READ MORE: A Nation Divided: Dropping Turkish Birth Rates Threaten Erdogan Political Brand

The initiative is, among other things, aimed at raising awareness about the topics of family, relationships and sex, which hadn't previously been discussed openly in public.

Along with a number of other Asian countries like Singapore, Thailand is facing a rapidly ageing population. The country's authorities fear potential difficulties in the economic and labor sectors if the share of the working-age population continues to drop further.

Birth rates in Thailand have declined from over 6 children per woman in 1960 to 1.5 in 2015, according to World Bank figures.

Possible factors behind the trend range from higher living costs and more difficult jobs to the fact that many citizens have moved from rural areas to urban centers.