The document discusses Singapore's changing population trends and the government's population policies over time. It notes that Singapore experienced a post-war baby boom in the 1950s-1960s but then saw declining birth rates from the 1980s onward due to successful family planning policies, social factors like women pursuing careers, and higher costs of living. This led to an aging population and problems like a smaller workforce. The government implemented policies like the Graduate Mothers Scheme, "Three or More if You Can Afford It", and attracting foreign talent to promote population growth. The document examines the challenges of Singapore's slowing population growth and aging population.

2. Singapore’s Population PolicyChanging Times, Changing Needs

3. Reasons for ageing populationPost-war baby boom

4. Declining birth rate

5. Longer lifespansReasons for decline in population:Success of govt policies

6. Social factors

7. Economic factorsImpact of ageing population:Strain on working population

8. Reduction in competitiveness

9. Increased demand for healthcare & social servicesSmaller security forcesImpact of decline in population:Unattractive to MNCs

10. Defence

11. Ageing populationOptimal population growth rateRapid population growth(1950s-1960s)Declining birth rate(from 1980s)Promote population growth

12. Control population growth1950s- 1960s: Post-war “Baby-Boom”

13. 1950s- 1960s: Post-war “Baby-Boom”Peace and stabilityMore children = more security in old ageGrew by more than ½ million from 1950-1960

15. UnemploymentInsufficient healthcareservicesShortage of housingInsufficient education

16. Source A – An observation by a family planning pioneer about women who visited family planning clinics in the 1950s.There was a Chinese woman who had had 19 pregnancies before she found her way to a family planning clinic in 1955 but she was not a record holder; there were others who out-produced her! Volunteers manning the clinics learnt from patients that all too often, babies had to be given away. In every case, poverty was given as the reason.The overwhelming majority of the patients came from families whose monthly income were not more than $200. Particularly worrisome was the finding that the lower the income, the greater the number of children born. The women’s common reply, “I don’t know what to do!” Study Source A.What does Source A tell you about the population problem that Singapore faced in the 1950s?

17. Reasons for ageing populationPost-war baby boom

18. Declining birth rate

19. Longer lifespansReasons for decline in population:Success of govt policies

20. Social factors

21. Economic factorsImpact of ageing population:Strain on working population

22. Reduction in competitiveness

23. Increased demand for healthcare & social servicesSmaller security forcesImpact of decline in population:Unattractive to MNCs

24. Defence

25. Ageing populationGovernment strategy: Reduce & ControlImplementation of five-year plans

26. Legalizing use of contraceptives & sterilization

27. Legalizing abortion

28. Financial disincentivesFive-year plans- Campaign to “Stop at Two”1st plan: need for smaller families

29. 2nd plan: stop at two policy

30. 3rd plan : maintain at 2.1A Family Planning Clinic

31. Source B & C - Posters from the Family Planning Information ServiceSource CStudy Sources B & C.What are the similarities and differences in the two sources?

32. Other measures:Legalize use of contraceptives and sterilization

33. Prevent unwanted pregnancies

34. Legalize abortion

35. Get rid of unwanted pregnanciesOther measures:Financial disincentivesLoss of income, higher taxes, higher bills  financial burden

37. Result of the Population Policy in the 1950s – 60sNumber of births fell between 1966 – 1981Reached replacement level of 2.1 babies born per woman in 1975Policy was effective & successful

39. Declining birth rate from 1980s

40. Reasons for ageing populationPost-war baby boom

41. Declining birth rate

42. Longer lifespansReasons for decline in birth rate:Success of govt policies

43. Social factors

44. Economic factorsImpact of ageing population:Strain on working population

45. Reduction in competitiveness

46. Increased demand for healthcare & social servicesSmaller security forcesImpact of decline in birth rateUnattractive to MNCs

47. Defence

48. Ageing population

49. Success of government policies Social factorsEconomic factorsDeclining birth rate from 1980s

50. “Time for a cultural shift”“Having children not top priority: Survey”“Number of Single Singaporeans on the rise”“Late (great) expectations”Economic & Social Factors:

51. Success of government policies Social factorsEconomic factorsDeclining birth rate from 1980s

52. Social Factors:Singles; Babies at later age, No babiesChange in attitude towards marriage & children

53. Prefer to remain single, marry later or have children at a later age

54. For example, more women are highly educated & enter the workforce & women felt that their careers are more importantEconomic factors:Higher costs of living/educationPeople realized that having more children is additional burden due to the high cost of living & increasing standard of living

55. Education/Housing is increasingly more costly

56. Problems of Slow Population Growth

57. Reasons for ageing populationPost-war baby boom

58. Declining birth rate

59. Longer lifespansReasons for decline in birth rate:Success of govt policies

60. Social factors

61. Economic factorsImpact of ageing population:Strain on working population

62. Reduction in competitiveness

63. Increased demand for healthcare & social servicesSmaller security forcesImpact of decline in birth rateUnattractive to MNCs

64. Defence

65. Ageing populationProblem 1: Unattractive to Multinational CompaniesSmaller talent pool

66. Fewer people in the workforce

67. Lower productivity

68. Smaller consumer market  less attractive to businessesHow does this affect Singapore?

69. Problem 1: Unattractive to Multinational CompaniesSmaller talent pool

70. Fewer people in the workforce

71. Lower productivity

72. Smaller consumer market  less attractive to businessesLess investments  slower economic growth

73. Problem 2: Ageing population

74. Population Changes in Singapore 1990 - 2050

76. Problem 2: Ageing populationFewer younger people, disproportionately larger number of older people

77. Greater need for healthcare & social services

78. More resources needed to take care of increasing no. of senior citizensProblem 2: Ageing population

79. Problem 2: Ageing populationGreater stress on working populationHow does it affect Singapore’s development?

80. Problem 2: Ageing populationGreater stress on working populationHeavier taxes on working populationMore resources spent on taking care of agedLess resources for development of nation

82. Problem 3: DefenceFewer people to recruit for NS

83. Weaken defence forceStruggles of making babies; Need for immigration

84. Reasons for ageing populationPost-war baby boom

85. Declining birth rate

86. Longer lifespansReasons for decline in birth rate:Success of govt policies

87. Social factors

88. Economic factorsImpact of ageing population:Strain on working population

89. Reduction in competitiveness

90. Increased demand for healthcare & social servicesSmaller security forcesImpact of decline in birth rateUnattractive to MNCs

91. Defence

92. Ageing populationGovernment strategy: Promote Population GrowthThe Graduate Mothers Scheme

93. Three or More if You can Afford It

94. Pro-family measures

95. Attracting foreign talent1) The Graduate Mothers SchemeTRENDMarrying later

96. Bearing fewer children1) The Graduate Mothers SchemePM Lee: female graduates should have more children  new generation will be more educated1) The Graduate Mothers SchemeIntroduced in 1984

97. Encourage marriage and children amongst graduatesThis is unfair to Singaporean mothers like me, who do not have university qualifications! As long as we are all Singaporeans, we should be treated equally. Why deny me of incentives when I can bring up my child as well? I need the financial incentives more than graduate mothers who are better off in many ways!

98. Source EIn his 1983 National Day Rally speech, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew lamented that declining birth rates and large number of graduate women remaining single or not marrying their intellectual equal could see Singapore's talent pool shrink. The PAP government then proceeded to launch the "Graduate Mother Scheme" to entice graduate women with incentives to get married. These were said to have caused a big dip in PAP's support for this GE and its share of votes plunged by more than 10% to below 70%, the biggest fall and the lowest for PAP since the 1963 GE.Study Source E.What does Source E tell the impact of the Graduate Mothers Scheme on the PAP?

99. 2) Three or More if you can afford itLaunched in 1987

100. Aimed at bringing population growth back to 2.1 children/ woman2) Three or More if you can afford itEncouraged to have three or more children if they could afford it

101. Introduced measures such as allowing the use of Medisave to pay for the delivery charges of the first three childrenStudy the source.Why was this poster printed?

102. 1.881.481.24