Singapore has a slogan: Have Three or More (if you can afford it), announcing that the government now promoted a larger family size of three or more children for married couples who could afford them, and promoted "the joys of marriage and parenthood."

Singapore

1970

2014

What is the government doing? Why? “No pronatalist policy can bring the fertility rate back to replacement level,” said Theresa W. Devasahayam, a researcher at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore, who has published papers on gender, aging and labor policies in the city state. “The government is in a fix. For the moment, it has little choice but to keep importing labor and keep the country’s doors open to foreigners.” What is the government doing? Why?

Before 1984

Before 1984

Singapore: changes in a population policy Like China, Singapore had a high birth rate and fertility rate. The government introduced an anti-natal policy to try to reduce this. It did this by: Making contraceptives available at a low cost. Creating family planning clinics to help make advice more available. Publicising through the media the advantages of having a smaller family. Introducing financial incentives for smaller families (such as free education and health care benefits). The financial support stopped with larger families.

Singapore: changes in a population policy The impact of the policy: The fertility rate has dropped to 1.2 in 2011. There were insufficient workers to fill job vacancies because of the decrease in the birth rate. Singapore has an ageing population. The change in the birth rate was more dramatic because it was also caused by the increasing development of Singapore, meaning that more women followed careers rather than starting a family. This meant the birth rate fell because of factors not directly because of the policy.

A pro-natalist policy As a result of the decline in the birth rate, in 1984 the Singapore government started to reverse the anti-natalist policy. In 1987 some pro-natalist policies were introduced. The phrase “have three or more children if you can afford it” was promoted by the government. Financial benefits were given to encourage female graduates to have more than three children. A baby bonus scheme was introduced which gave cash to new mothers. Singapore has also recently introduced carers’ leave for fathers. Other attempts to increase the birth rate have been to send out Valentine cards encouraging people to “make love, not money”. They also arrange weekend cruises to help match-make potential couples. These schemes have yet to be proved successful.

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