Singapore’s Fertility Issue

The figure shows the falling TFR since the 1970s to 2012 Part 1: Background 1.25 births per woman as of 2014 Singapore Total Fertility Rate (TFR) 2.1 births per woman without immigration Required TFR Malaysia – 2.1 births per woman Thailand – 1.4 births per woman As of 2013 Other Countries TFR The figure shows the falling TFR since the 1970s to 2012 Source: Department of Statistics, Singapore, “Population Trends 2013”, p.22 Sources: “More Marriages and Births in 2014”, National Population Talent Division, Press Release, February 16, 2015; World Bank Data: http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.TFRT.IN

Part 1: Background Causes for Singapore’s low TFR 1. More people remaining single *46.2% Males and 43.5% Females aged 35-49 were single 2. Marrying and having their first child at a later age *Median age at first marriage: 30.2 Males & 28.1 Females 3. Having children later or no children at all *30% of ever married women were childless & 21% have 1 child 4. Changing Family Size *Families with 2 children continues to be the norm 5. Changing Family Structure Part 1: Background Causes for Singapore’s low TFR Changing Family Structure: Increased early divorces Divorce among seniors More singles Double-income, no kids Sandwiched families Source: NPTD, Population in Brief 2014, Department of Statistics, Population Trends 2014

What are your opinions on fertility issues?

Part 2: Changing Trends 1. Perceived high cost of living Changing Ideals of Marriage Restructuring of work in the economy Empowerment of Women Delayed Marriages Raising Family Part 2: Changing Trends 1. Perceived high cost of living 2. Cost of raising children 1. Financial constraints 2. Achieved pre-marriage milestones such as career & saving enough money to buy a house 1. Focus on careers 2. Rising female employment 1. Dual roles for women as mother and employee 2. Inflexible work culture 1. Searching for “Mr/Mrs Right” 2. Rising Singlehood AsianParent.com estimated around $340,000 The Marriage and Parenthood Survey (2012) Sources: Yap Mui Teng and Christopher Gee (May 2014), Population Outcomes: Singapore 2050. Available at http://lkyspp.nus.edu.sg/ips/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/09/POS2050_Web_Final_3009141.pdf; Gavin Jones, “Late marriage and low fertility in Singapore: the limits of policy”, The Japanese Journal of Population, 10(1), March 2012; Straughan, P. T., 2011, “Not Yet Married – The Implications of Meanings of Marriage on Youths in Singapore”, Hong Kong Journal of Youth Studies 14(1): 113-29

Same-sex Relationship Part 2: Changing Trends Same-sex Relationship Single Parents Views on Cohabitation Some Singaporeans feel there are moral grounds to accept alternative arrangements like gay marriage (Our Singapore Conversation Secretariat) Almost half of the respondents considered co-habitation to be acceptable (Institute of Policy Studies, 2013) Source: Fiona Chan, “Creating a more welcoming home for all Singaporeans”, Straits Times, March 11, 2015 Source: shutterstock.com

What should policymakers consider for fertility policies?

Lower Cost of Living in Singapore Part 3: Policies Lower Cost of Living in Singapore Childcare Housing Education Housing Subsidies: For 1st time married couples, those expecting children, and those with multiple children. Education Subsidies: From $156 per year for primary school to $300 per year for secondary school. Further financial assistance provided. Childcare subsidies: $3/month for full-day child care services or $60/month for full-day infant care services. Source: Ministry of Education; Marriage and Parenthood Package 2013, Ministry of Education, http://www.moe.gov.sg/initiatives/financial-assistance

Part 3: Policies Policies to support parents in raising children Enhanced Baby Bonus Parenthood Tax Rebate Government Paid Paternity Leave Working Mothers Child Relief Medical Care for Newborns Grandparent Caregiver Relief Subsidies for Centre-based Infant & Childcare Extended Child and Infant Care Leave Shared Parental Leave Pro-family Housing Policy Policies to support parents in raising children Part 3: Policies Check out http://heybaby.sg/worklife/ for the full measures that support work-life harmony Source: Marriage and Parenthood Package 2015

Part 3: International Example Sweden TFR at 1.9 > Monthly allowance for children until they turn 16 years. > An extra supplement for family with more than one child which increases further with each additional child. Singapore government has implemented similar policies > School for children aged 6-19 years is free, with free lunches. > A gender equality bonus is given if 270 days of paid parental leave are split equally between the father and mother. > 2 months of paid leave that cannot be transferred and another full year of leave, which can be shared or transferred. > Parents on leave are paid 80% of their monthly salary for 80% of their total leave allowable, with a cap which is roughly $6,500. The balance 20% allowable leave is paid at a lower flat rate. > High income tax rates at 56.9%. In contrast, the personal income tax rate in Singapore stands at 20%. Sources: Ho Kwon Ping, “Europe’s baby bump holds lessons for S’pore”, Straits Times, March 5, 2015, reproduced from his lecture at the Institute of Policy Studies; tradingeconomics.com, https://www.iras.gov.sg/irashome/page04.aspx?id=1190

What do you think of the policies on fertility issues?