Journal of Population and Social Security (Population), Supplement to Volume 1
Fertility and Population Policy: the Singapore Experience Mui Teng Yap
Introduction Singapore has long been known for its use of social policies to influence fertility/reproductive behaviour. This began in the late 1960s/early 1970s and continues to the present, although the demographic objective has changed from anti-natalist to selectively pro-natalist. The turning point came in the mid-1980s after about a decade of below-replacement level fertility. The impetus must have been the results of the 1980 census, which showed that the better-educated women were not replacing themselves while the lower educated “over-reproduced”. The better-educated women were, moreover, more likely to remain single. The then Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, was as concerned about the quality of the population as the quantity1. Incentives were introduced to encourage the bettereducated mothers to have at least three children. On 1 March 1987, the then First Deputy Prime Minister (and current Prime Minister) Mr Goh Chok Tong announced the replacement of the two-child policy which had been in effect since 1972 with the “three, or more if you can afford it” policy, together with a package of procreation incentives. These incentives have been modified and added on to over the years, most recently with the government giving out “baby bonuses” for second and third births and picking up the tab for paid maternity leave for third births. As in the past, the government feels that while marriage and family sizes are private matters, there are important larger societal consequences that concern the survival of Singapore which justify intervention – even as it also recognises the dismal record of procreation incentives elsewhere (see Lien 2002)2. The section that follows provides a backgrounder on Singapore’s demographic landscape and its transition from extremely high fertility (exceeding six children per woman) to well below replacement level. This is followed by a presentation of the
Introduction Singapore has long been known for its use of social policies to influence fertility/reproductive behaviour. This began in the late 1960s/early 1970s and continues to the present, although the demographic objective has changed from anti-natalist to selectively pro-natalist. The turning point came in the mid-1980s after about a decade of below-replacement level fertility. The impetus must have been the results of the 1980 census, which showed that the better-educated women were not replacing themselves while the lower educated “over-reproduced”. The better-educated women were, moreover, more likely to remain single. The then Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, was as concerned about the quality of the population as the quantity1. Incentives were introduced to encourage the bettereducated mothers to have at least three children. On 1 March 1987, the then First Deputy Prime Minister (and current Prime Minister) Mr Goh Chok Tong announced the replacement of the two-child policy which had been in effect since 1972 with the “three, or more if you can afford it” policy, together with a package of procreation incentives. These incentives have been modified and added on to over the years, most recently with the government giving out “baby bonuses” for second and third births and picking up the tab for paid maternity leave for third births. As in the past, the government feels that while marriage and family sizes are private matters, there are important larger societal consequences that concern the survival of Singapore which justify intervention – even as it also recognises the dismal record of procreation incentives elsewhere (see Lien 2002)2. The section that follows provides a backgrounder on Singapore’s demographic landscape and its transition from extremely high fertility (exceeding six children per woman) to well below replacement level. This is followed by a presentation of the