Sum of financial support from a baby’s birth until age 17 is the city-state’s offer to address low birthrate and reluctance of couples to have children
With leafy cycle paths, rooftop water parks and child-friendly restaurants, Singapore’s east coast is one of the best places in the island city-state to raise a family.
Finance worker Lee lives in an apartment here with his wife and two cats, but like an increasing number of Singaporeans they do not intend to have children. They worry about the challenges of bringing them up, and the disruption to their lives.
He knows his parents want grandchildren: “They brought it up a couple of times when we were younger, but now they don’t bring it up any more.”
The 34-year-old, who requested his last name only be used, says he and his wife feel the same. “We are happy with our lives right now, so adding a kid will kind of complicate that,” including giving up travel and not being able to go out to restaurants.
A survey released this month by YouGov has found that many Singaporeans feel the same, with one in four saying they don’t plan to have children. Grappling with a historically low birthrate, the city-state announced sweeping measures to encourage couples to have children, but it is unclear how successful those measures might be.
The prime minister, Lawrence Wong, has said the government will provide almost S$70,000 (US$55,048; £40,647) in direct financial support for every child by the time they turn 17. The policy begins at birth with a S$10,000 baby grant, and two separate $5,000 grants for medical and educational expenses.
Other provisions include S$2,000 in “child credits” from ages one to 16, lowering government-subsidised preschool fees to S$150 a month, and giving people more parental leave.
“Singapore’s future will only be as strong as the families that build it,” Wong said.
Singapore’s birthrate for women of reproductive age – known as the total fertility rate – is a record low of 0.87. A rate below the “replacement level” of 2.1 is the norm around the world today, but Singapore is part of a cluster of countries in Asia with the world’s lowest rates, alongside the likes of South Korea and Taiwan.
For governments, the demographic trend poses a major economic challenge, leaving a smaller proportion of working adults to support a growing elderly population. Singapore is projected this year to reach a “super-aged” status, which the UN defines as having more than 21% of its population aged 65 and above.
The prime minister’s measures have received a mixed reception, with those interested in having children still worried about the expense of raising a family.
The cost of living in Singapore is “insanely high” says Iqbar Hisham, 27, who works as a coordinator in the construction industry, but the new policy has given her and her fiance some hope for starting a family in the future.
“These supports do encourage me to have children as soon as possible once I’m married,” Hisham says, noting in particular the help for childcare.
Social pressure, including a highly competitive education system and demanding workplaces, and the need for childcare support due to both parents working are also playing into a growing reluctance among some Singaporeans to start a family.
