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A small but growing number of couples in Singapore choose to have a large brood, perhaps encouraged by pro-family policies such as improved Baby Bonus bonuses, according to experts.
Financial Stability and Religious Beliefs Could Also
A total of 2,118 babies born last year were the fourth or more child in their family – the highest number in the last five years, according to the Report on the birth and death registration 2017 published this month However, births recorded last year were also the lowest in seven years – 39,615 versus 37,967 in 2010.
These statistics are disturbing because the synthetic fertility index of Singapore of 1.16 last year is much lower than the rate of 2.1 needed for the population to replace itself.
Different groups of people are behind the trends, said Associate Professor Kang Soon-Hock of the Singapore University of Social Sciences. s (SUSS)
"Couples who are considering having their first child can face other barriers, such as their own career advancement and financial stability," said Professor Kang, director of social science course of the SUSS school.
"Couples who already have one or more children may have fewer obstacles to overcome because they may have reached a certain level of stability in their careers."
For this group, improvements to Government policies like the Baby Bonus program could have served as an incentive.
The cash donation of at least $ 8,000 per baby was extended to the fifth and the next child for those born on or after January 1, 2015.
The sociologist Tan Ern Ser of the National University of Singapore (NUS) said that religion can also play a role, by not sanctioning abortion or family planning.
Babies born from 2013 to last year were the first children for couples, according to the report.
Last year, 18,570 babies were the first child of their family, a slight decrease from 19,292 babies in 2013.
Women continued to have children when they were born. they are older, the median age of mothers who gave birth to their first child turning around 30 years old last year.
On the reasons for the decline in the number of families in general Jean Yeung thinks that couples are investing more and more in a child rather than having a lot of children.
In addition, a growing number of women are becoming more educated and working, getting married and having children. are no longer the only ways to achieve social status and economic security, added Professor Yeung. – FELICIA CHOO
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