Proposal for "Let's Have One" Campaign to Boost Total Fertility Rate

25 Ms Ng Ling Ling asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) how will the Government re-imagine a "Let's Have One" campaign to promote growth in birth rate in a manner similar to the "Stop at Two" family planning campaign launched in 1972 to moderate population growth then; and (b) what lessons can be learnt from the "Stop at Two" campaign to make the ''Let's Have One'' campaign as successful for reversing the downward trend in total fertility rate.

Ms Indranee Rajah (for the Prime Minister): Today's environment is vastly different compared to the 1970s. Then, we were a developing country with few resources, insufficient housing and amenities, and a population with much lower levels of education. Mindsets and attitudes to family formation, too, were different.

In the half-century that has since passed, Singapore has changed tremendously. Individual priorities and societal norms surrounding marriage and parenthood have also shifted, in line with global trends across advanced societies around the world. As such, using an approach like the "Stop at Two" campaign, which was developed for circumstances and views prevalent more than 50 years ago, may not be the most effective to change mindsets and attitudes in the current day.

Addressing our declining fertility is a national priority. Yet, we also understand that marriage and parenthood are deeply personal decisions. Young couples have many considerations in deciding whether to marry and have children. Hence, we are focusing on understanding their viewpoint and are working to address their concerns over starting and raising families. We are also working to foster a more conducive and enabling environment in which Singaporeans feel secure and supported in having children.

In the Forward Singapore report, we have stated our commitment for Singapore to be the best place for Singaporeans to start, grow and nurture their families. Since then, we have progressively enhanced our policies to address key areas of concerns, for example, through enhancements to the Baby Bonus Scheme, introduction of the new Shared Parental Leave scheme, the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests as well as the new Large Families Scheme.

To shift mindsets and culture, we have also started the Made For Families movement, which is an ongoing effort to rally employers, organisations, community groups and individuals to create a Singapore where families can thrive. The Made For Families movement also includes public communications efforts to encourage conversations around parenthood as well as to assure those keen to have children that they will be supported at every step along the way. We will continue to partner the whole-of-society to build a Singapore Made For Families.