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Poor preparation will waste 'demographic bonus'
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Students of senior high school SMA 74 Jakarta raise banners in front of the school on Sept. 22, 2016, to celebrate the UN sponsored International Day of Peace. (JP/File)
W
ith a large young population, Indonesia will experience a "demographic bonus" from 2020 to 2040, however, poor preparation for the young generation will waste the opportunity, an expert has said.
If children do not receive good nutrition they will have stunted growth, if young people do not receive good education they won’t be able to secure a job, and if people of working age do not have a job, the state budget will be drained only to support the elderly, said University of Indonesia professor Sri Moertiningsih "Toening" Adioetomo.
"We need to provide different treatments based on people’s life stage and needs," she said during University of Indonesia's Demographic Institute seminar in Jakarta on Monday.
(Read also: RI demographic trends: Potential and risks)
She cited records that show Indonesia still has a high number of babies born, with a total fertility rate (TFR) of 2.28 babies per one woman.
“It will lead to a more dependent population, which is also a burden to working age people as more people go into retirement,” she said, adding that with an unemployment level of 5.6 percent, ideally Indonesia had to reduce the TFR to 2.1 in 2025 and 1.9 in 2035.
In 2025, Indonesia is expected to have a population of 285 million, which will increase to 306 million in 2035, while the number of its working age population will rise to 196 million in 2025 and 210 million in 2035, she added. (bbn)
