Governments struggle to boost declining fertility rates

Women are facing increasing pressure.

Singapore’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) fell to 0.97 in 2023—the lowest in the nation’s history. This decline mirrors a global trend, where the average number of children born per woman has significantly decreased since the 1960s, according to Dr. Jennifer Sciubba, President & CEO of the Population Reference Bureau.

"Part of what is driving that is that people are getting married later, if at all, they're having their first child later, if at all," Dr. Sciubba explained. "And overall, people just want to have fewer children." Economic factors and shifting societal values are among the key reasons behind this trend, contributing to the declining birth rates in Singapore and beyond.

Governments around the world have been grappling with how to reverse this decline, often treating it as an economic issue. “Governments have tried to do things such as give tax breaks or even cash bonuses to families for having children,” said Dr. Sciubba. “They've also made some strides in instituting parental leave, such as Singapore has done. But these have had really mixed results.”

The complexity of the decision to have children goes beyond financial incentives. “It’s a very complex decision to have a child, or when and how many children to have,” Dr. Sciubba noted, adding that siloed policies focusing solely on economic aspects often fail to address the multifaceted reasons behind low fertility rates. She pointed out that a sense of pessimism about the future, which is difficult to capture in a population policy, is also a significant deterrent for many people.

She emphasised that historical policies aimed at increasing fertility rates, such as improving education for women and providing family planning options, played a role, but declines in fertility were observed even in areas without these policies.

"It is incredibly important that governments actually centre gender in their population policies, because otherwise we really risk actually putting even more pressure on women," she cautioned. She noted that a common approach targets women, expecting them to work more, have more babies, and care for an ageing population simultaneously.

Dr. Sciubba advocated for a more holistic approach, where different policies are aligned and do not unintentionally burden women further. She stressed the importance of normalising and equalising parental leave for both parents and ensuring women are represented in policy-making roles. "Singapore has made a lot of strides in terms of its gender equality, but that is one area where there's really a lot more work to be done," she concluded.