Marriage and parenthood in Singapore

• Main Author: STRAUGHAN, Paulin Tay
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2015
• Subjects: Asian Studies; Family, Life Course, and Society; Sociology of Culture
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/2200
• Institution: Singapore Management University

Perhaps the one singular concern that has dominated headlines in post-independence Singapore is the country's below replacement fertility since the late 1970s. For a small nation-state which relies on manpower as her only resource, this has caused alarm both for the government as well as for Singaporeans. The latest report on marriages and divorces (Department of Statistics [DOS], Statistics on Marriage and Divorces 2013, 2014) highlighted what has become the norm for the city-state — falling marriage and fertility rates, delayed age at first marriage, rising singlehood — all cumulating in indicators warning of a fast-ageing society. This chapter will look at the state's response to the population dilemma and critically discuss the adequacy of these interventions.