March 26, 2021

Singapore’s total fertility rate fell to an alarming 1.1 births per female in 2020. In an interview with CCTV-13, Professor Jean Yeung (NUS Sociology; Centre for Family and Population Research) shares insights as to how the COVID-19 pandemic may have caused couples to delay marriages and children.

The loss of income and jobs undoubtedly played a role in the declining birth rates. She notes that many Singaporeans have had to deal with a loss of income from six months up to a year. These immediate concerns over job security precede family considerations. Depending on the duration of the pandemic, Prof Yeung speculates that Singapore’s total fertility rate may face a bigger impact in 2021.

She also notes the birth rates had declined prior to the pandemic. A slowing and increasingly uncertain economy raised concerns over job security. The high societal pressure of raising children may also have contributed to declining birth rates. These prevailing conditions were exacerbated by the pandemic and impacted Singapore’s birth rates.

Watch the interview clips (in English, from 0.54-1.34 and 2.00-2.49) here.