Singapore’s total fertility rate in 2020 fell to a historic low of 1.1. It drops further below the country’s replacement rate of 2.1. Since babies are conceived nine months earlier, low birth rate is the result of fewer conceptions in 2019. Under the financial stress of Covid-19 and family conflict from WFH, we might see an even lower fertility rate this year. Delays in weddings and BTO completion dates will in turn affect the birth rate in the following year. Frankly, if there were no softening of economy in 2019 and no outbreak of Covid-19, do we have the confidence to say we can revert our total fertility rate which has been declining since the 1980s?
Decades of falling birth rate has far-reaching impact in the society. Below are the inevitable consequences in the future: • Drop in demand for school places and products or services in the children’s market...