Tag Archives: Demography

As childlessness becomes normative, what can policymakers do?

Op-ed published in Today, May 13, 2013

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By Trisha Craig

This year, the celebration of Mother’s Day took place against the backdrop of a growing recognition that as a society, Singapore is moving to a situation where fewer women will become mothers and when they do, they will have fewer children.

So used to topping world rankings in matters of education, competitiveness or labour-market efficiency, Singapore also finds itself among the world leaders in low fertility and advanced maternal age at first birth. The fertility rate is hovering around a population-busting 1.2 children per woman and the average age at which a Singaporean woman has her first child is just shy of 30.

There is widespread public awareness of this trajectory and no shortage of discussion about the remedies for it: Make work-life balance easier to achieve by offering more paid leave to new parents, giving more subsidies and places for high-quality childcare, de-stigmatise part-time work, or prioritise and offer more attractive housing options, for starters.

It’s interesting to note that these potential policy options are being considered, or at least debated, in the context of a society where the value placed on being married and having children is high. This, though, is not unusual: In most developed countries where fertility has taken a nosedive as it has in Singapore, young people continue to see marriage and having children as an ideal.

In light of those stated preferences, it seems that getting the right mix of public policy to support those aspirations ought to be relatively simple. And yet, it is not.

Looking at the reasons why achieving this ideal is so hard is an important addition to the policy debate — because they suggest the real headwinds that policymakers face. Continue reading …