The current population problems we are facing can be traced back to the disastrous “Stop at Two” policy that was introduced in the early 1970s. At that time, even some liberal NGOs like the Singapore Planned Parenthood Association (SPPA) were used by the Government to spread their “Two is Enough” propaganda, which unfortunately was bought wholesale by Singaporeans. When they tried to reverse the trend upon realising that it had been a mistake, the damage had already been done.In order for a society to maintain itself socially and economically over the long haul, the required fertility rate is 2.11 children per family. A society will decline if its fertility rate is less than that.
Historically however, no society has reversed a fertility rate below 1.9. In Singapore’s case, where our fertility rate is a mere 1.3, the situation is practically intractible. That is why the Government is trying to welcome foreigners into Singapore, to artificially boost the falling birth rate. But the consequences for the social fabric of our nation can be deep and longlasting.
Read the entire article here: The Online Citizen
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