Singapore’s birth rate has the world’s lowest birth rate at 1.20 in 2016 and the figure is projected to fall further with declining marriage figures for the 3rd year in 2016. Marriages in 2016 dropped 1.53% from 2014’s 28,407 to 2016’s 27,971. Divorces also increased 1.2% to 7,614 in 2016 from 2015’s 7,522.
The major factor behind declining marriages and falling birth rate is the lack of money, with many Singaporean singles earning barely enough to feed themselves leaving little next to nothing for family planning. According to a UBS survey in 2011, Singapore workers have among the lowest purchasing power in developed countries, with purchasing power lower than a worker in Malaysia Kuala Lumpur. The Singapore government attacked the report and published its propaganda denying so.
The cost of baby milk powder in Singapore is among the most expensive in the world. Cost of living in Singapore ranks also the world’s most expensive according to independent international surveys conducted by the likes of Economist Intelligence Unit. Again, the Singapore government publishes its own propaganda to debunk the fact.
There has been no new measures to increase birth rate and Singapore Ministers in-charge of the population issues have been resorting to empty rhetoric. Early in February, Senior Minister Indranee Rajah called for Singaporeans to raise their salaries to cope with inflation. In January 2017, Minister Josephine Teo tells Singaporeans to “have sex in small spaces” and that Singaporeans should “change their mindset”.
A government study conducted last year revealed that only 37% of the Singaporeans want to stay in Singapore. There is also a 24% jump in Singaporeans leaving Singapore to reside overseas.