THE spotlight is shining on South-east Asia’s declining birth rates as concerns mount over their socio-economic impact.

A myriad of factors has led to falling total fertility rates, the average number of births per woman. In countries such as the Philippines, the number of new births seems closely linked to marriage rates. In Singapore, financial pressures of raising children is a key deterrent, pushing the city-state’s fertility rate to the lowest in the region at 0.97 in 2023.

Additionally, as living conditions improve and child mortality rates drop, there is less pressure or necessity for families to have more children, said the Asian Development Bank’s senior economist Aiko Kikkawa.