According to data released by YouGov, almost a quarter of Singaporeans between 18 and 44 years old who do not have children do not intend to have children in the future. Faced with a historically low fertility rate, the city-state announced a set of measures to encourage couples to have children, although it is unclear to what extent these measures may be successful.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced that the Government will make available approximately 70,000 Singapore dollars per child in direct financial support from birth until age 17. Among the measures is support upon birth, as well as incentives for those who have more than one child.
The article does not specify what the remaining announced measures are nor does it detail the complete functioning of the financial support. The city-state has long faced a demographic challenge with birth rates at historic lows, which has worried the authorities.
The effectiveness of these measures remains uncertain, since the decision to have children involves factors that go far beyond financial support, including working conditions, cost of living, and couples' personal preferences.
