Singapore - Why more married women are not having kids

SINGAPORE - A small-scale study has shed some light on why fewer women in Singapore are procreating - and it is not because they do not want children.

An in-depth study into 16 Singaporean Chinese women revealed that factors like financial constraints and careers are major considerations when women think about having children.

The Straits Times (ST) reported that eight of those women surveyed - who are not degree holders and earn an average monthly pay of $2,350 - cited the lack of money as a key reason for not wanting to start a family.

Most of them said they desire children but feel that they cannot afford to raise a child in costly and highly competitive place like Singapore.

For university graduates who earn an average monthly pay of $6,250, most feel they may not be able to juggle motherhood and their jobs well, therefore are unwilling to sacrifice their career prospects, said ST.

The qualitative study, conducted by the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), examines why Chinese Singaporean women consciously choose not to have children.

While the NTU findings are not representative of the entire population, it supports latest Census figures which shows that more married Singaporeans are not having babies.

In 2010, 20.5 per cent of ever-married female citizens in the 30 to 39 age group were childless. A decade ago in 2000, the figure was 13.2 per cent.

According to the same report, the proportion of women in the later part of their child-bearing years who are childless also increased, but less sharply.

8.6 per cent of ever-married female citizens in the 40 to 49 age group were childless - up from 6 per cent in 2000.

Ever-married refers to those currently married, divorced or widowed.

AsiaOne

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