SINGAPORE'S productivity push to grow the economy extends beyond
the factory floor and corporate boardroom, to the bedroom.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has called on couples to have
more, not fewer, babies in the Year of the Tiger, which starts on
Sunday.
His message comes amid a dire situation in which Singapore's
total fertility rate slid to the lowest-ever level of 1.23 last
year, down from 1.28 in 2008.
It is far below the replacement rate of 2.1. In other words,
Singapore was short of at least 10,000 babies to replace
Singaporeans in the community.
For the Chinese, the rate was even lower. It fell from 1.14 in
2008 to 1.09 last year, which is equal to the lows in 2003 and
2004.
Disclosing these figures in his Chinese New Year message, Mr Lee
said: 'Probably the recession last year made couples hold back
having babies. But it also reflects fundamental societal changes
that are affecting all East Asian societies.'
source:http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_490157.html
