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Having children not top priority: Survey
Only 3 per cent of 1,000 young adults polled see starting a family as main goal
By Carolyn Quek
MOST young adults in Singapore do not see having children as a top priority, although many of them do want children eventually, according to a new survey by parent advocacy group I Love Children.
The survey of more than 1,000 single and married Singaporeans and permanent residents aged 21 to 39 found that only 3 per cent of them saw starting a family as a top priority.
Having a successful career was most important to 28 per cent of the respondents, while 25 per cent picked financial independence.
I Love Children was founded in 2005 to encourage more Singaporeans to have children. This is the first time it has conducted such a large-scale study. The survey findings, released yesterday, come on the back of Singapore's fertility rate dropping to a record low of 1.16 last year, a long way from the recommended replacement rate of 2.1.
Last week, the Association of Women for Action and Research called for paid paternity leave for fathers, saying that by getting them more involved in parenting, the falling birth rate could be reversed.
But the survey had some good news: 72 per cent of the respondents who did not have children said they intend to start a family. Only one in 10 did not want children at all while the rest were unsure.
On the whole, most of those polled said they would ideally like to have two children. But more than eight in 10 of all respondents felt it was expensive to raise children in Singapore.
Even if money was not a factor, only 40 per cent of those undecided would consider starting a family. Having a supportive spouse and the ability to continue pursuing interests and aspirations would make them more likely to change their minds.
For those who already have one or two children, a flexible work arrangement was cited as a factor likely to encourage them to have more children.
Commenting on the findings, president of the advocacy group Joni Ong, 51, said she was not surprised that having children was not a key priority, considering the fact that many of the respondents were singles, soon-to-be married or newlyweds.
Many of them are still building their careers and gaining financial independence, she said. 'We have been brought up to be independent and good at what we do, this is the way we have been schooled, so it's not surprising,' said the mother of five.
To encourage couples to procreate, one ongoing initiative launched by the group is the Parenthood Pledge, in which couples make a pledge to conceive by June, winning a $300 Ikea voucher if they are successful. So far, 400 couples have taken part, with 40 having successfully conceived.
Civil servant Tan Yi Lin, 31, who conceived, said she and her husband made the pledge because they were ready to start a family. The voucher was 'nice to have' but it was not a deciding factor, she said.
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Only 3 per cent of 1,000 young adults polled see starting a family as main goal
By Carolyn Quek
MOST young adults in Singapore do not see having children as a top priority, although many of them do want children eventually, according to a new survey by parent advocacy group I Love Children.
The survey of more than 1,000 single and married Singaporeans and permanent residents aged 21 to 39 found that only 3 per cent of them saw starting a family as a top priority.
Having a successful career was most important to 28 per cent of the respondents, while 25 per cent picked financial independence.
I Love Children was founded in 2005 to encourage more Singaporeans to have children. This is the first time it has conducted such a large-scale study. The survey findings, released yesterday, come on the back of Singapore's fertility rate dropping to a record low of 1.16 last year, a long way from the recommended replacement rate of 2.1.
Last week, the Association of Women for Action and Research called for paid paternity leave for fathers, saying that by getting them more involved in parenting, the falling birth rate could be reversed.
But the survey had some good news: 72 per cent of the respondents who did not have children said they intend to start a family. Only one in 10 did not want children at all while the rest were unsure.
On the whole, most of those polled said they would ideally like to have two children. But more than eight in 10 of all respondents felt it was expensive to raise children in Singapore.
Even if money was not a factor, only 40 per cent of those undecided would consider starting a family. Having a supportive spouse and the ability to continue pursuing interests and aspirations would make them more likely to change their minds.
For those who already have one or two children, a flexible work arrangement was cited as a factor likely to encourage them to have more children.
Commenting on the findings, president of the advocacy group Joni Ong, 51, said she was not surprised that having children was not a key priority, considering the fact that many of the respondents were singles, soon-to-be married or newlyweds.
Many of them are still building their careers and gaining financial independence, she said. 'We have been brought up to be independent and good at what we do, this is the way we have been schooled, so it's not surprising,' said the mother of five.
To encourage couples to procreate, one ongoing initiative launched by the group is the Parenthood Pledge, in which couples make a pledge to conceive by June, winning a $300 Ikea voucher if they are successful. So far, 400 couples have taken part, with 40 having successfully conceived.
Civil servant Tan Yi Lin, 31, who conceived, said she and her husband made the pledge because they were ready to start a family. The voucher was 'nice to have' but it was not a deciding factor, she said.
[email protected]
