Singapore's declining birth rate a cause for concern: SM Goh
By Farah Abdul Rahim, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 19 August 2006 2208 hrs

	Photos 1 of 1 Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong
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SINGAPORE : Singapore's declining birth rate is a cause for concern as it will have a severe impact on the country's future and the Singaporean identity, says Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong.

He said that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will also address this problem at his National Day Rally on Sunday.

While he admitted that reversing the decline is not easy, Mr Goh revealed that the government will try again, not with bonuses or incentives this time, but by looking into making parenthood and raising a family easier.

Mr Goh was speaking at his constituency's annual National Day dinner on Saturday evening.

"Can Singapore be a viable city state which can prosper for another 100, 200 or 300 years or more? I believe we can," Mr Goh said.

And one of the reasons is Singapore's people.

Mr Goh said the problem was that Singaporeans were not replacing themselves, with fewer Singaporean babies born each year.

Some 35,500 babies were born here last year, compared to a high of nearly 56,000 when the country gained independence in 1965.

The number of births per female fell to 1.24 last year, compared to 4.66 in 1965 - meaning population growth is not fast enough to even replace both parents.

This trend is also evident in Mr Goh's constituency Marine Parade, where there were just 15,400 voters in the recent General Election, compared to 19,500 thirty years ago.

Said Mr Goh, "For our Chinese population, the situation is even graver. Now, I go back to 1957, the first year we had the data - there were 6.48 babies per Chinese female ... Last year, it was only 1.08 per Chinese female. And if it goes down to below 1.08 - and I think there's a danger it may do so - we will not even be replacing even the mother! Will Singapore last 100 years if local-born Singaporeans are becoming an endangered species?"

Mr Goh added that Singapore had no natural resources except its people, but with fewer babies and a declining fertility rate, this vital resource was not being renewed.

This would lead to problems in the future, with a lack of manpower, skills and young men to defend the country.

Mr Goh also made a plea to young couples who belonged to the "double income no kids" (DINKs) group.

Drawing from his personal experience, Mr Goh said, "My wife and I are fortunate that our son and daughter are not DINKs. They do not have a double income. My daughter is not working; my daughter-in-law is also not working, so no double income. They have three children each, which means my wife and I have six grandchildren - and they are all granddaughters. And because they are all granddaughters, there may be a chance that my son and his wife, my daughter and her husband may want a boy - or that's what I hope!"

But he reminded Singaporeans that this was a problem that could only be reversed by the people themselves, and not the government. - CNA /ct