A 1999 BNet report says that Singapore population is likely to shrink after 2030 due to declining fertility rates among Singaporeans. Of course, this news is quite old already, nearly a decade old. But I think the issue is still current and relevant. Is Singapore population still in the downward trend right now as we speak? Why is the declining fertility rates among Singapore? How is the government coping? Are Singaporeans too busy that they forget to make babies or too tired to make babies?

Here's the news: (from: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0WDP/is_/ai_56702987). Highlights are mine.

Singapore population likely to shrink after 2030

Asian Economic News, Oct 18, 1999

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SINGAPORE, Oct. 13 Kyodo Singaporean Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong said Wednesday the country's population is likely to shrink after 2030 due to declining fertility rates.

Singapore's total fertility rate has fallen steadily from 1.87 in 1990 to 1.5 last year, with only 43,664 births, far short of the government's target of 50,000 a year, he told parliament.

"The statistics show clearly that we are not replacing ourselves. This is a serious problem. The government has warned against this trend 12 years ago. We tried to reverse it but have not been successful," he said.


"If this declining fertility trend persists, and it is likely to be the case, our citizen population of 3 million will grow to about 3.5 million by 2030 and then start to decline," he said. Singapore's current population is about 3 million.

He attributed the declining birth rate to urbanization, education, changing lifestyles, and late marriages.

"I am not optimistic that we can achieve a significant increase in the fertility level. But we must never give up trying to get Singaporeans who can afford it to have more children," he said.

Another worrying trend is emigration, Goh said.

He said some 2,000 Singaporeans emigrate each year, based on the number of good conduct certificates issued by the police.

More than half are women, many of whom married foreigners and left Singapore to join their husbands.

COPYRIGHT 1999 Kyodo News International, Inc.

Italy has the lowest birth rate.

Low birth rates mean people are well informed about birth control plan and family planning.

true!

and also, women in Singapore are very career oriented now. U can now have babies after 30, so they concentrate on their careers and making money first. Adoption rates are going up though.
Plus, a few years ago, the government started this whole children policy thing, I think right now its a 2 child policy is it?! I havent been keeping up with the story so Im not 100% sure.

My school friend, his parent get devorced he came back with his Thai mom to thailand. His mom wanted him change nationality to Thai but SG autority persuaded them not to do that. bcos they afriad one more youth population gone.

my English? yeah i know

I thought they have already done something about that, you know, by importing from China

^^ LOLs....
btw decline in rate of fertility as in decline of birth rates because of family planning, contraceptions or they can't produce an offspring even if they want to ??

most likely it's because of family planning and use of contraceptions. There was a time before this whole land reclaiming stuff, when the governtment was worried that the country wld get overpopulated hence the family planning and the child policies rules.

Contraceptions...most of the girls I know are on the pill/patch.

Increase birth rate or import from China.

Then again SG is overpopulated isn't it? Quality over quanity, start a non-coercive eugenics program for those that are very smart.

Yeah, there's too many people here... it's a fu-king germy country now!!!!! Nevermind the smarty pants...

Except for money and foreign reserves.....Singapore is practically short of everything, desperately so too! Singapore is short of land, air space, sand...and now...babies!! May be Singapore should merge with one of its neighbors!!!

If it did it would be destroyed

Singapore, like Europe, USA and Japan is suffering from a declining birth rate.

It is inevitable once a country becomes rich that people stop having as many children...

Eventually even China will suffer from a declining birth rate...

actually east asia is just freaking crowded. except China because it has a lot of land.