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Some Singaporean couples are likely to delay their plans to marry or have a child as the coronavirus pandemic disrupts their financial stability and affects their job security, according to a survey.
These were among the reasons cited by roughly three out of 10 respondents in a survey commissioned by the National Population and Talent Division (NPTD) and the Ministry of Social and Family Development.
While the real impact on Singapore’s birth rate will come to light around nine months later, the findings are cause for concern, said Prime Minister Indranee Rajah, who oversees the NPTD.
If Covid-19 pushes Singapore’s total fertility rate further down, the number of Singapore-born citizens in the national population will fall further, he added.
It will have knock-on effects, particularly on frustrating plans to grow Singapore’s core, he said.
Singapore’s total fertility rate (TFR) is already below the replacement rate of 2.1, the level at which a population replaces itself. The TFR fell from 1.82 in 1980 to 1.14 last year, which is among the lowest in the world.
The survey, conducted in June and July this year, interviewed about 4,100 Singaporeans.
About half were singles between the ages of 22 and 32 who were in serious relationships. The rest were married people between 21 and 45 years old.
About 80 percent of those who were married and indicated they planned to delay having children said they would do so for up to two years. The rest said the delay could go beyond two years, or they weren’t sure.
The main concerns of those delaying having a child include uncertainty about the global health situation in light of Covid-19, unstable economic and employment prospects, and concerns about the safety of healthcare facilities.
About 70 percent of singles who plan to postpone their weddings said they would do so for up to two years. Most cited the uncertain global health situation and the difficulty of holding a wedding ceremony.
The economy and job security also worried them.
“Since age affects fertility, marrying and having children later can result in families not being able to have the number of children they hope to have,” the NPTD said.
Ms. Indranee hopes the $ 3,000 baby support grant announced yesterday will convince couples to marry and become parents.
“We want young couples to know that the government and the community support them, so that they do not have to delay important events in their lives.”
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