I was asked, "Is the low birth rate in Singapore caused by the family planning policy, i.e. the 'Stop at Two' policy, implemented in the 1970s?"
The answer is "no". The family planning policy affected the earlier generation, and not the young people today.
Our low birth rate today is due to a different set of circumstances. People are now marrying late, deciding to have fewer children, or to remain single.
The key factors are:
a) Time spent on National Service (for males), taking away two years of their time
b) Emphasis on university education, making people start work later
c) High cost of housing and cost of living, making young people delay getting married
d) Working too hard, leaving less time to find a suitable life partner
e) Worry about the high cost of raising children, i.e. tuition fees and other expenses
f) A different set of values, where having children is now not so important
g) Worry about saving enough money for retirement and health care cost for the elderly
h) In recent years, increased competition for jobs with foreigners, leading to depressed wages.
To increase our birth rates, we have to address the concerns of the young families today.
We have to find "out of the box" solutions, as the marriage and family packages adopted during the past two decades have failed to produce results. Insanity is described as "repeating the same methods and expected different results."
I will write about what I like to see as a new approach later. I like to hear your views.
The answer is "no". The family planning policy affected the earlier generation, and not the young people today.
Our low birth rate today is due to a different set of circumstances. People are now marrying late, deciding to have fewer children, or to remain single.
The key factors are:
a) Time spent on National Service (for males), taking away two years of their time
b) Emphasis on university education, making people start work later
c) High cost of housing and cost of living, making young people delay getting married
d) Working too hard, leaving less time to find a suitable life partner
e) Worry about the high cost of raising children, i.e. tuition fees and other expenses
f) A different set of values, where having children is now not so important
g) Worry about saving enough money for retirement and health care cost for the elderly
h) In recent years, increased competition for jobs with foreigners, leading to depressed wages.
To increase our birth rates, we have to address the concerns of the young families today.
We have to find "out of the box" solutions, as the marriage and family packages adopted during the past two decades have failed to produce results. Insanity is described as "repeating the same methods and expected different results."
I will write about what I like to see as a new approach later. I like to hear your views.
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