The pro-natal policy of Singapore was introduced in 1987 to address declining fertility rates since the 1960s that threatened economic and social stability. The policy provided incentives like cash bonuses for having additional children and parental leave. It was enhanced in 2000 with increased bonuses for second or third children. Evaluations in 2004 and 2008 led to amendments like tax relief and subsidies to make the policy more effective. While the policy achieved its goal of stabilizing population growth, concerns remain around environmental sustainability and coercive aspects of population control.

1. IB Diploma Geography Case Study: Pro-Natal Policy of Singapore
Michelle YuXin Wang
December, 3, 2017
OVERVIEW: A brief summary of the case study
The case describes the pro-natal policy of Singapore. This policy is an established legislation
based on the purpose to stimulate families to raise more children, with potentials to boost the
Singapore’s growth in many areas.
After an anti-natalist policy was introduced after baby boom and decline from death rate due to
post world-war social background, downward fertility tendency rose in 1960s. The government
then took actions to adjust and abandon such approach. The pro-natalist policy was then
announced in 1987. This policy was made targeting human characteristic of the dropping fertility
rate. Drop of fertility rate would have an extremely negative impact on any country, in aspects of
culture stability and economic development.
Afterwards, a furthered relevant policies were issued from the year of 2000, this is enhanced by a
baby bonus plan, targeting second or third child in a family.
In years of 2004 and 2008, the government realized the ineicient facets as the policy immersed
into society and facilitated amendments through strategies such as relief from tax, maternity
package, and increment in subsidies.
VISUAL AIDS:
1.
Because of a drastic fertility rate drop during 1960s, pro-natalist programs have been introduced.
The efects are clearly inferences of the shift to a normal trend of fertility, meaning the policy has
been fulfilling its purposes.
Cheung, P. (1990) ‘Micro-consequences of low fertility in Singapore’, Asia-Pacific Population.

2. 2.
The efects of this pro-natal policy are obvious. The population became more balanced, focusing
not just on post-teenager stages but in children as well, guaranteeing young blood and future
work force. This compellingly proved Singapore controlled its demographic trend in an organized
and efective matter.
4 P’s ANALYSIS:
PLACE: Location / Scale / Relevant physical & human characteristics
This policy takes place in Singapore, impacting the range of all population that is optimal to give
birth at the time, which is about 27-35% at the time according to United Nations. Singapore is
located in southeast Asia, no more than 15 meters above sea level and bordered by several straits
including Johore Main straits. This ofered trade opportunities and a very developed production of
goods. According to UNDP, or United Nations Development Report, Singapore is ranked fifth in the
entire world, earning a HDI mark of 4, and recognized as having very high human development.
The physical characteristics of Singapore’s therefore have an inevitable impact on its human
characteristics. The people there are highly educated, resulting in the trend of avoiding having
babies in an early stage of their lives or even not having babies at all. In order to alter this situation,
the involvement of government is based on the concern of assuring well-educated females are
married through programs such as the Social Development Unit. Examples such as fiscal supports
given to graduated women to have three children were one portion of the legislation.
United Nations

3. PROCESSES:
Social )+/-(:
The government has taken lots of initiatives to encourage adults to have children using social
approaches.
Ones of the attempts the government took in terms of social promotion, Singapore employed
advertisements and slogans. For instance, “have three or more children if you can aford it” was
promoted by the government.
Another interesting efort taken to increase birth rates was a wide spread of Valentine cards that
says “make love, not money”. What’s more, arrangement such as holiday and weekend cruises to
boost matching of potential couples were taken place.
Such mechanism as been proven to be neutral in terms of results.
Technological )+/-(:
Technological aspects in this policy can be seen from the strengthening of NRT and IVF.
The chances of couples conceiving successfully through IVF in Singapore sit between 16-28%,
given by a study done by MOH in the year of 2004. This can be underscored as couples encounter
pregnancy issues in the future.
The complementary techniques NRT, or New Productive Technology and gene analysis were also
taken place to put forth higher pregnancy rates. However on the one hand, “good” potential
parents )based on criteria such as social and economic statuses, nationality, race, etc.( are
encouraged to have children and utilize this technology. On the other hand, “undesirable women
and men” – on the basis of the same criteria – are discouraged from bearing children. What’s more,
based on the implicit assumption that lower class, poor women with a low level of status and
education inevitably bear genetically inferior children. Therefore, even technology is highly
developed and may be able to help families through barriers of having kids, the campaign carried
out by Singaporean government is a blatant example of a technological outbreak.
This mechanism exerted could be both positive and negative to the public, on moral grounds.
Economic )+/-(:
The first tier in the advanced policy of 2000 was simply a cash gift, the aids provided for families
could add up to $3,000 for second child, $5,000 for third child. On the other hand, for the second
tier, both parts of parents and government are responsible to a co-savings account. Such scheme
was structured to make sure funds were used solely for the benefit of kids. Another endeavor
relates to the parents’ working conditions. Provisions of the same year introduced paid leaves in
public sectors to marry and to take care of sick children. This can be reflected on the flexible
working hours and childcare subsidies when the kids were enrolled in childcare centers.
Furthermore, by 2002, $11 million had been distributed under the Baby Bonus Scheme, and $9
million under the Third Child Paid Maternity Scheme. Since such monetary generosity of the

4. scheme was disbursed, it was not surprising that when the fertility rates to fell even further in the
following year, making a historical low on 1.42, such disclosure was met with extreme
disappointment, frustration and a sense of being controlled by a national problem that had crucial
implications for the economic future of Singapore.
The Prime Minister deplored that the Baby Bonus did not yield much of a “bonus” for him, seeing
such lowered total fertility rate, since this economic crisis puts great pressure on his shoulders. He
suggested that:
“To the pragmatic Singaporeans who have postponed their marriage plans, I advise them to act
fast. The timing is good now to get a choice flat to start a family.” - Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong,
6 April, 2002.
This issue is parallel to France’s pro-natal policy, seeing that this could result in debt, which is
detrimental to a nation. Spending too much money and yet not having anything in return is
currently the biggest problem both countries are going through. Plus, an economic burden is
stressed on the families that do not have any children.
Environmental )+/-(:
Issue that is relevant to environment on this gradually warming world was brought to the table
because of the reinforce of pro-natal policies. According to a new study from statisticians at
Oregon State University, having children is the surest way to soar parents’ carbon footprints. The
study conducted by the university found that having a child has an impact that far outweighs that
of other energy-consuming behaviors. The simple logic is one more person will simply lead to
more consumption of resource. It is an added challenge facing the Singaporean parents: the
continuity of population growth has positively linear relationship of increasing global
consumption of resources.
Additionally, pressures on child-raising in big-city environments can also be seen. The more
metropolitan the city is, the more monetary resources have to be devoted. In a country like
Singapore with its physical characteristics, the environment puts massive burden on the parents.
Looking at environmental aspects, the conclusion is clear that having more children could even
become a - facet for a nation’s development.
Political )+/-(:
As a nation that has the lowest total fertility rate in the Southeast Asian area, Singapore’s
experiences in pro-natalist policies have been unique in senses most notably in the way that
political governance in an early stage was trying to turn the anti-natal population trends around.
The government has been largely recognized as being interventionist, even paternalistic at times.
It has been calling on policies and rhetorics to achieve goals which deems desirable for the
population. At times, these strategies aimed at the public good also attempt to govern the private
sphere. Such policies are very contextualized, meaning they are targeting an ideology that is
purportedly underlined by a ‘Confucian’ ethic — which is emphasized by the government.

5. Population change is one such driver of particular policy initiatives that are said to impinge on
individual behavior in Singapore.
The political look on this matter can be summarized as a - factor, seeing how demanding the
government is.
POWER: Players influencing and afecting change or equilibrium in this case
An institution Social Development Unit in the mid 1980s established legislation, tasked by the
government to match college graduates to each other, afecting the equilibrium by encouraging
pro-natalist behaviors, acting as a pushing force.
In more controversial contexts, the government as a player introduced several overtly eugenic
measures. It has provided provision of cash incentives to less-educated individuals to undergo
sterilization, and reduced subsidies for delivery charges of children of less-educated parents. This
impacts the equilibrium in a relatively negative way.
POSSIBILITIES: Alternative events, futures, outcomes; Human / environmental adaptation
The current pictures of population of Singapore are more or less balanced compared to the history,
because of the introduction of pro-natalist policies. However, there are still necessary steps the
country has to take until achieving an optimal picture of population. A stationary population
pyramid should expand on the youngest population, and decreasing as the pyramid goes up. Still,
the country has to encourage having children among the educated population in order to have
replacement of the elderly, better workforces, tax benefits and so on for an ideal nation. As the
nation became more developed, people might will have a hard time adapting to such trend.
Government will have to take actions to substantiate them with exceptional quality of life and let
them see the perks of having more children in the future.

6. Citation
Suzuki, Toru, 2009, “Population policy in Eastern Asian low fertility countries”, IUSSP 26
th
International Population Conference, Marrakech, Morocco.
Wong, Theresa; S.A. Yeoh, Brenda. “Fertility and the Family: An Overview of Pro-natalist
Population Policies in Singapore”. HEADQUARTERS AT ASIA RESEARCH INSTITUTE
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY of SINGAPORE.
Jones, Gavin W. “Population Division, United Nations Department of Social and Economic
Afairs”. UNITED NATIONS EXPERT GROUP MEETING ON RECENT AND FUTURE TRENDS IN
FERTILITY. 2-4 December 2009.
CHUA, Cheng Xun. “The Baby Bonus in Singapore: A Brief Empirical Study”. Mathematical
Methods in the Social Sciences Northwestern University. 2009.
BBC. “Singapore: changes in a population policy”. 2014.
“Feminist International New Reproductive Network Technologies and Genetic
Engineering”. INTERNA TIONAL CONFERENCE LUND- SWEDEN. 1985.
Dickey McDowell, Janet. “The Ethics of In-Vitro Fertilization )IVF(”. Oxford: Clarendon
Press. 1998.