‘Too high a cost’: why some Singaporeans are forgoing parenthood

Even if market researcher Joey Lau were a millionaire and could devote all her time to her family, she still would not want children.

The 34-year-old Singaporean said the risks facing young people today – from social media-driven mental health pressures to climate change – were too high to justify bringing a child into the world.

“I feel like the only reason that I would want to have a child is because it’s cute, it would give shape to my life and my parents would be very happy because they want to be grandparents, but that would be too high a cost for this kid to pay in order for me to feel like I’m doing something with my life,” she said.

“Nowadays there are many ways to make a full life, in many less risky, less expensive ways.”

While the government has rolled out a range of pro-family measures in recent years to encourage births, analysts say deeper anxieties over career penalties, rising opportunity costs and an increasingly intensive parenting culture continue to shape decisions.