Ask: NUS Economists

How to nudge couples to have more kids

Lowering long-term net cost of raising children yields more benefits than one-off Baby Bonus cash gift

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Q How effective are the Baby Bonus and other incentives in raising fertility rates?

A It is well known that Singapore has a problem with a declining fertility rate. In the post-war period, Singapore's total fertility rate (TFR) peaked in 1957 to more than six children per woman, but has declined steadily since then.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 26, 2018, with the headline How to nudge couples to have more kids. Subscribe