REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesia needs to maintain balanced population growth in the future because it can influence fiscal balance, Chief of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) Bambang Brodjonegoro said.

"The government needs to adopt a special strategy to maintain balanced population growth, considering that a downward trend of population and ageing population in the future may affect the country's fiscal balance," he said in a dialog on Indonesian Demography : Desired Future" at the Bappenas building here on Tuesday.

To date, demographic condition in Indonesia is different from one province to another. In several provinces including East Nusa Tenggara, West Sulawesi, and North Sumatra the total fertility rate (TFR) per woman of reproductive age (15-49 years) is still above 2.5 while the figure is recorded at less than 2 in the provinces of Jakarta, East Java and Yogyakarta.

The result of a population survey conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) in 2015 shows the figure is recorded at 2.28.

In 2017, the UN projected a medium scenario of TFR reduction by up to 2 children in 2035 when the Indonesian population is expected to reach 300 million. Meanwhile, Indonesia will remain the world's fourth most populous country.

If TFR continues to drop, it will reach the relatively low figure so that the population will decline during the ageing population period of 2055-2065.

"In response to the decline in TFR, we need new approaches to make the public aware of the importance of the accurate number and quality of children," he said.

Besides TFR, public health is also one of the important factors to maintain balanced population growth because it will influence mortality rate (IMR) particularly infant mortality rate and extend life expectancy in the long run, he said.

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