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Review immigration policy, Singapore’s Plan B for a plunging fertility rate
It is prudent to acknowledge that increasing immigration may be necessary to counterbalance the ageing population.
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A well-planned and comprehensive immigration strategy is a more sustainable solution than promoting population growth, says the writer.
ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
Corinna Lim
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Singapore’s fertility rate has been declining over the past four decades, despite significant efforts like the marriage and parenthood measures since 2001.
Singapore’s resident total fertility rate (TFR) – which refers to the average number of babies each woman would have during her reproductive years – has steadily decreased from 1.41 in 2001 to 1.1 in 2020, with minor upticks occurring in Dragon years.
