The stop-at-two policy was introduced to encourage people in the lower income groups to have only two children so as to give these children better opportunities in life.
When it was introduced in 1972, TFR (total fertility rate) was 3.05.
In less than 10 years, total fertility rate had dropped to less than replacement level at 1.74 in 1980.
People were not stopping at two. They were stopping at less than 2.
Singapore's economic transformation in such a short time is an economic miracle.
And there is a correlation between economic development and birth rate.Countries throughout the developed world have very low birth rates. Countries with high birth rates are the less developed countries. And countries with the highest birth rates? The least developed countries.
As a country advances its birth rate will start to fall. In Singapore the economic advancement has been rapid. Correspondingly the fall in TFR has also been rapid.
Why does TFR fall with economic development?
Economic advancement means job opportunities for women as well. When more women join the workforce, fertility rate falls.
In Singapore, women have equal opportunity for education. They receive the same education as men. They are highly educated with many career options open to them. They can earn salaries that are on par with those of men.
Unlike in the past, women are no longer financially dependent on a husband for support. They no longer see their role as solely that of a wife and mother. There are lifestyle options available to them. They can choose to be single or married. They can choose to have children or not to have children.
Their ability to be high-income earners have altered social behaviour and led to marriages later in life. They may also put off having children to advance their career first. When they put off having children until their mid-30s,they also have fewer children.
Confounding the problem of low TFR is the higher proportion of people who remain single.
In 2013, 45.4% of males between 30 - 34 years of age are single, and 33.3% of women in that age group are single.
The median age of mothers at first birth is 30.2.
All the highly developed economies in Asia - Japan, Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan - have very low TFR and they didn't have a stop-at-two policy.
What contributes to an ageing population?
When a country has (1) very low TFR and
(2) life expectancy is long,
it will become a SHRINKING and AGEING population.
People were not stopping at two. They were stopping at less than 2.
Singapore's economic transformation in such a short time is an economic miracle.
And there is a correlation between economic development and birth rate.Countries throughout the developed world have very low birth rates. Countries with high birth rates are the less developed countries. And countries with the highest birth rates? The least developed countries.
As a country advances its birth rate will start to fall. In Singapore the economic advancement has been rapid. Correspondingly the fall in TFR has also been rapid.
Why does TFR fall with economic development?
Economic advancement means job opportunities for women as well. When more women join the workforce, fertility rate falls.
In Singapore, women have equal opportunity for education. They receive the same education as men. They are highly educated with many career options open to them. They can earn salaries that are on par with those of men.
Unlike in the past, women are no longer financially dependent on a husband for support. They no longer see their role as solely that of a wife and mother. There are lifestyle options available to them. They can choose to be single or married. They can choose to have children or not to have children.
Their ability to be high-income earners have altered social behaviour and led to marriages later in life. They may also put off having children to advance their career first. When they put off having children until their mid-30s,they also have fewer children.
Confounding the problem of low TFR is the higher proportion of people who remain single.
In 2013, 45.4% of males between 30 - 34 years of age are single, and 33.3% of women in that age group are single.
The median age of mothers at first birth is 30.2.
All the highly developed economies in Asia - Japan, Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan - have very low TFR and they didn't have a stop-at-two policy.
What contributes to an ageing population?
When a country has (1) very low TFR and
(2) life expectancy is long,
it will become a SHRINKING and AGEING population.
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