Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is cranking up the national debate on babies this month, with proposals to Parliament that would attempt to stem the country’s slumping birthrate. Singaporean men and women are delaying marriage in part because they want to “concentrate fully” on their jobs or studies, a government survey of 2,120 singles showed this month. The pursuit of possessions may be partly to blame as well. According to a 2010 study by researchers at SMU and the Northern Illinois University, Singaporean women are more materialistic than their American counterparts, and this could explain a smaller desire for children. The role of women in the economy may also have contributed to the falling birth rate.
Source
Bloomberg