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Population Pyramid
Population Pyramid
Population Pyramid
Singapore’s Population Policy
From rapid-growth baby-boom figures during the 1950s
and the 1960s to the …
Solution?
Singapore’s Population Policy
1966 to 1981 (Family Planning Phase)
In 1966, setting up of the SFPPB (Singapore Family
Planning and Population Board) to plan population
policies with the aim to control population growth:
Aimed for 3 Five Year Plans
1966 – Emphasize the need for smaller families
children
1976 – Maintain the replacement level at 2.1 children
Singapore’s Population Policy
1966 to 1981 (Family Planning Phase)
In addition, various measures to assist
the 5 year plans were put in place:
Encouraging contraception and making it
available for purchase
Legalised abortion
Campaigns
Singapore’s Population Policy
1966 to 1981 (Family Planning Phase)
In addition, various measures to assist the 5
year plans were put in place:
No paid maternity leave to be given to the 3rd and
subsequent children
No priority to be given to large families in the allocating
of government (HDB) flats
No income tax relief to be given for the 4th and
subsequent children
Delivery charges in hospitals to be increased with each
additional child
Singapore’s Population Policy
1966 to 1981 (Family Planning Phase)
Was extremely successful:
1980 – Fertility rate was 1.82 per woman
Family planning policy to reduce birth rate had worked
Was not that successful:
Fertility rate was below replacement level
Other factors at play for a decrease in births:
Increasing living costs
Change of mindsets towards career, marriage and large
families
Singapore’s Population Policy
To what extent were Singapore’s Family Planning policies a
success? Explain your answer. [12m]
Step 1: Explain that they were successful
1980 – Fertility rate was 1.82 per woman
Family planning policy to reduce birth rate had worked
Step 2: Explain that they were not that successful
Fertility rate was below replacement level
Other factors at play for a decrease in births:
Increasing living costs
Change of mindsets towards career, marriage and large families
Step 3: Weighing
Singapore’s Population Policy
1980s and beyond (Declining Birth
Rate)
Why was there a need to promote population
growth from the 1980s?
Declining Birth Rate from the 1980s
Unattractive to MNCs (Multi-National Companies)
Ageing Population
Defence Needs
Singapore’s Population Policy
1980s and beyond (Declining Birth Rate)
Why was there a need to promote population growth from the 1980s?
Declining Birth Rate from the 1980s
Fertility rate was at 1.82 (below replacement rate)
Changing Attitudes:
Economic uncertainties
Singapore’s Population Policy
1980s and beyond (Declining Birth Rate)
Why was there a need to promote population
growth from the 1980s?
Unattractive to MNCs
Not enough talented people to work in MNCs and sustain their
development in Singapore
More expensive to recruit Singaporeans because of short supply
and therefore MNCs may move to cheaper hiring destinations like
India and China where the labour market is bigger
Singaporeans would also become a less attractive consumer
market
Singapore’s Population Policy
1980s and beyond (Declining Birth Rate)
Why was there a need to promote
population growth from the 1980s?
Ageing Population
Fewer births mean fewer young people in future
population figures to counter the large amount of older
people from the baby boom period
More resources would be needed to take care of the
ageing population and less resources would be
available for other sectors
Singapore’s Population Policy
1980s and beyond (Declining Birth Rate)
Why was there a need to promote
population growth from the 1980s?
Defence
With fewer young people, there would be less men to
serve the nation
Singapore would be weakened in terms of defence
capability
Move towards Army 3G to counter a drop in human
resources
Singapore’s Population Policy
1980s and beyond (Declining Birth Rate)
How did the government promote
population growth after the 1980s?
Graduate Mothers Scheme
Three or More if You Can Afford It
Other Pro-Family Measures
Attracting Foreign Talent
Singapore’s Population Policy
1980s and beyond (Declining Birth Rate)
How did the government promote
population growth after the 1980s?
Graduate Mothers Scheme
Research undertaken showed that the children of
university graduates tended to perform better in schools
As a result, PM Lee (LKY) felt that female graduates
should have more children so that the new generation
workforce would be better educated
Singapore’s Population Policy
1980s and beyond (Declining Birth Rate)
How did the government promote
population growth after the 1980s?
Graduate Mothers Scheme
In 1984, the GMS was introduced to encourage marriages
among graduates and to encourage them to have more
children
GMS sparked off a debate and unhappiness because non-
graduates were unhappy as they were neglected under
the policy
The GMS was scrapped in 1985
Singapore’s Population Policy
1980s and beyond (Declining Birth Rate)
How did the government promote
population growth after the 1980s?
Three or More if You Can Afford It
Amendment of the 1987 population policy and aimed
to bring back the replacement level of 2.1 children
Instead of discouraging large families, parents were
encouraged to have three or more children if they
could afford it
Singapore’s Population Policy
1980s and beyond (Declining Birth Rate)
How did the government promote
population growth after the 1980s?
Three or More if You Can Afford It
Due to the 1985 recession and the retrenchment of
workers by MNCs, the government also wanted
couples to only have children if they could afford it and
not contribute to social problems if they were to have
another child and not be able to cope financially
Singapore’s Population Policy
1980s and beyond (Declining Birth Rate)
How did the government promote
population growth after the 1980s?
Three or More if You Can Afford It
The government also introduced measures like
allowing the use of Medisave to pay for the deliveries
of the first 3 children
LIMITED SUCCESS
Community
Government
Singapore’s Population Policy
Measures taken to deal with an Ageing
Population:
Senior Citizens as Assets to Society
Valuable knowledge, skills, work experience and talent
They can still contribute to public and private
organisations and family life
Singapore’s Population Policy
Measures taken to deal with an Ageing
Population:
“Many Helping Hands” Approach
Sharing of responsibility to take care of senior
citizens and cutting down on government’s
burden
Singapore’s Population Policy
Measures taken to deal with an Ageing
Population:
“Many Helping Hands” Approach
Individual
Healthy lifestyle (to reduce medical
expenditure)
Financial planning for retirement
Singapore’s Population Policy
Measures taken to deal with an Ageing
Population:
“Many Helping Hands” Approach
Family Support
Emotional, Social and Financial support
Tax Relief
CPF