Economics of babies

• Main Authors: Bai, Yu, Nurhidayah Abdul Hamid, Nurul Amirah Ghazali
• Other Authors: David Alexander Reisman
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences::Economic theory::Macroeconomics; DRNTU::Social sciences::Sociology::Family, marriage and women
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/63236
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Singapore's total fertility rate has declined steadily since the late 1970s. The Singapore government has responded to this trend with numerous pro-natal policies. These policies heavily emphasise monetary incentives. However, these policies have had limited positive influence on the TFR. This is because the declining TFR can be attributed to both economic and cultural factors. Furthermore, the concerns of parents extend beyond monetary concerns and include cultural concerns. This suggests that the heavy emphasis on monetary incentives is myopic. This paper seeks to identify the missing link for a more effective body of pro-natal policies. This is achieved through three stages of research. They are the literature review, case studies of four countries and validation of findings using surveys and focus group discussions. Significant evidence highlights the importance of greater emphasis on cultural incentives to better address the declining total fertility rate. Therefore this necessitates a shift in focus for the formulation of pro-natal policies.