Singapore Population Boom
Population is a global news obsession. This is particularly true considering the level of growth both in terms of numbers and wealth seen across South East Asia. China is one country that has encouraged legislation to control the high levels of new-borns with a one-child policy, but Singapore is going in the opposite direction and trying to add some incentives to get its flagging birth rate up.
New research has suggested this enterprise could have a dramatic effect on the population and cause numbers to surge in the next 20 years – rising to 7 million people. The current figure stands at five million people.
DBS Vickers conducted the research and released a statement saying that the national populace is rising at a quicker rate than had been expected. They have gone as far as to suggest that current figures could jump up 32 per cent by the year 2030.
DBS Vickers is a specialist in equity research and they have made these predictions in a document evaluating population size for listed companies who are likely to profit from a much larger consumer base.
This is an important topical issue in parliament and Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng wants the government to act decisively. Many new measures are on the verge of coming into effect, such as providing money and support to new parents. But there are other less obvious policies like the encouragement of offices to become more child-friendly so mothers do not have to leave work.
Singapore has a comparatively low fertility rate compared to its neighbours which stands at 1.29 babies born per woman in 2007. This is below the 2.1 rate that government figures suggest the city-state needs to replace itself naturally.
Married Singaporeans already have privileges available to them if they choose to have a child but this has been unsuccessful in filling maternity wards in this wealthy city-state.