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PR Newswire
14-01-2011, 07:38 AM
Jan 14, 2011
census of population 2010: LOW BIRTH RATES
More couples saying no to having kids
High cost of living and pressures of parenting are major factors cited
By Jane Ng
MARRIED but without children.
The increase in the proportion of such couples as shown in the Census 2010 survey did not surprise experts.
The high cost of living - from property to cars to childcare fees - is one main reason they shy away from raising children, they said.
Associate Professor Tan Khye Chong, a statistics lecturer from Nanyang Technological University, said both husband and wife have to work to pay off the property loan.
'It's more difficult to start a family with both working and some may put off having a family until they are older,' he noted.
Professor Gavin Jones, a demographer at the department of sociology at the National University of Singapore, said it is the 'perceived high financial and opportunity cost' that is deterring people.
'Once they have children, it closes off options seen as desirable; for example, free time, holidays and a career.'
Parents are also under pressure to produce 'quality children' to do well in school and get ahead in life, added Prof Jones.
'There is pressure to devote a lot of effort to parenting, so it means giving them things like tuition. It's a highly labour-intensive process to raise kids here,' he said.
The census survey showed that the proportion of childless ever-married women aged 30-39 rose from 14 per cent in 2000 to 20 per cent last year.
The same trend goes for ever-married women in their 40s, with the percentage of those childless rising from 6.4 per cent to 9.3 per cent.
The low numbers would have far-reaching implications for the country, said experts. Singapore Management University's Assistant Professor of Asian Studies Hoon Chang Yau said this could lead to changes in the social landscape here.
'We will see an increase in immigrants who will be needed to make up the workforce to keep the economy running. This will lead to a more complex society with more people from around the world settling here,' he added.
This would eventually result in a change in national identity, culture and even food.
'While it can be quite exciting, there will also be anxiety over the change in the Singapore identity,' he said.
Policies would also need to be tweaked to cope with the ageing population, and people would have to work longer.
Higher-educated women are also having fewer children, with an average of 1.74 among ever-married graduates aged 40-49, compared to 2.21 for those with below secondary qualifications.
Civil servant Jean Heng, 30, who is getting married in June, said she and her teacher-fiance have decided not to have children.
Calling it a lifestyle choice, Ms Heng, a graduate, added: 'I like having my own independence and freedom. Having a baby is a huge commitment in terms of time and money, and I'm not ready for such a commitment.
'Life in Singapore is very stressful. Work takes up a huge amount of time and I have no energy to take care of kids. If I want to have kids, I would want to devote enough resources in terms of time and money.'
janeng@sph.com.sg
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NO TIME, NO ENERGY
'Life in Singapore is very stressful. Work takes up a huge amount of time and I have no energy to take care of kids.'
Ms Jean Heng, 30, a graduate. She and her fiance have decided not to have kids.
census of population 2010: LOW BIRTH RATES
More couples saying no to having kids
High cost of living and pressures of parenting are major factors cited
By Jane Ng
MARRIED but without children.
The increase in the proportion of such couples as shown in the Census 2010 survey did not surprise experts.
The high cost of living - from property to cars to childcare fees - is one main reason they shy away from raising children, they said.
Associate Professor Tan Khye Chong, a statistics lecturer from Nanyang Technological University, said both husband and wife have to work to pay off the property loan.
'It's more difficult to start a family with both working and some may put off having a family until they are older,' he noted.
Professor Gavin Jones, a demographer at the department of sociology at the National University of Singapore, said it is the 'perceived high financial and opportunity cost' that is deterring people.
'Once they have children, it closes off options seen as desirable; for example, free time, holidays and a career.'
Parents are also under pressure to produce 'quality children' to do well in school and get ahead in life, added Prof Jones.
'There is pressure to devote a lot of effort to parenting, so it means giving them things like tuition. It's a highly labour-intensive process to raise kids here,' he said.
The census survey showed that the proportion of childless ever-married women aged 30-39 rose from 14 per cent in 2000 to 20 per cent last year.
The same trend goes for ever-married women in their 40s, with the percentage of those childless rising from 6.4 per cent to 9.3 per cent.
The low numbers would have far-reaching implications for the country, said experts. Singapore Management University's Assistant Professor of Asian Studies Hoon Chang Yau said this could lead to changes in the social landscape here.
'We will see an increase in immigrants who will be needed to make up the workforce to keep the economy running. This will lead to a more complex society with more people from around the world settling here,' he added.
This would eventually result in a change in national identity, culture and even food.
'While it can be quite exciting, there will also be anxiety over the change in the Singapore identity,' he said.
Policies would also need to be tweaked to cope with the ageing population, and people would have to work longer.
Higher-educated women are also having fewer children, with an average of 1.74 among ever-married graduates aged 40-49, compared to 2.21 for those with below secondary qualifications.
Civil servant Jean Heng, 30, who is getting married in June, said she and her teacher-fiance have decided not to have children.
Calling it a lifestyle choice, Ms Heng, a graduate, added: 'I like having my own independence and freedom. Having a baby is a huge commitment in terms of time and money, and I'm not ready for such a commitment.
'Life in Singapore is very stressful. Work takes up a huge amount of time and I have no energy to take care of kids. If I want to have kids, I would want to devote enough resources in terms of time and money.'
janeng@sph.com.sg
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NO TIME, NO ENERGY
'Life in Singapore is very stressful. Work takes up a huge amount of time and I have no energy to take care of kids.'
Ms Jean Heng, 30, a graduate. She and her fiance have decided not to have kids.
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