More married couples here not having children

The ranks of married Singaporeans remaining childless have grown in the past decade and a small-scale study has shed some light on why some women have chosen not to procreate.

In 2010, 20.5 per cent of ever-married female citizens in the 30 to 39 age group were childless - and that is a significant jump from the 13.2 per cent in 2000, said demographer Gavin Jones.

In 2010, 8.6 per cent of ever-married female citizens in the 40 to 49 age group were childless - up from 6 per cent in 2000. Ever-married refers to those currently married, divorced or widowed.

By the end of their child-bearing years, the proportion of married women in their 40s who are childless has also risen in the past decade, although not as sharply as those in their 30s, he noted.

Women without degrees and earning an average monthly pay of $2,350 mostly said they desire children but feel that they cannot afford to raise a child in costly and highly competitive Singapore.

Meanwhile, university-educated women with an average monthly pay of $6,250 feel they cannot juggle motherhood and a job, and are unwilling to sacrifice their career prospects.

ORIGINAL SOURCE
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