Singapore's fertility rate drops to record low

Jan 17, 2011, 7:35 GMT

Singapore - Singapore's fertility rate dropped to a record low in 2010, meaning the city-state had to continue bringing in foreign workers to keep its economy growing, Singapore's deputy prime minister said Monday.

Singapore's resident fertility rate declined last year to an estimated 1.16 children per woman, down from the previous record low of 1.22 posted in 2009, Wong Kan Seng said.

The number was far below the level of 2.1 needed for a society's natural replenishment.

'The key hurdle to achieving a sustainable population lies in our weak local fertility rate,' Wong said.

'For the foreseeable future, we will need to tap on immigration to augment our population to support economic growth and to mitigate the impact of ageing,' said the minister, noting that the government pledged to put the interests of Singaporeans first.

Singapore, which has a population of about 5 million people, has sought to counter the demographic challenges of low fertility and an ageing population.

But state founder and former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew admitted in a recent media interview that so far the efforts had failed.

'I keep on saying to Singaporeans, please have two children at least, if possible three,' Lee said.

'They have not responded,' he said.

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