BARELY eight years after scrapping its one-child policy, multiple cities in China have been on a bold mission of late to raise the country’s falling birthrate. The latest salvo came last Thursday (Jun 15), when Beijing’s government announced that it would cover 16 types of assisted reproductive technology under the city’s healthcare system from Jul 1. Among the treatments are in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), embryo transplantation, as well as freezing and storing semen.

This follows the first-ever contraction in China’s population since the 1960s to 1.411 billion, with India now widely reported to be the most populous country on the planet. The implications for China are clear – with the population also greying, labour productivity is likely to dip. With the post-Covid rebound turning out to be more sluggish than anticipated, a growing number of analysts are questioning if China’s economy is still on track to surpass that of the US in a decade.

Little wonder hence that China is pulling out all the stops to reverse its population decline. Some Chinese provinces have begun giving newly-weds 30 days of paid leave, while at least one province was said to be contemplating extending paid maternity leave to nearly a full year.

It’s a challenge all too familiar to Singapore, which has one of the lowest total fertility rates (TFRs) in the world. Should the downward trajectory persist, Singapore too would face falling labour productivity that will severely curtail its economic prospects. If the island economy wants to transcend its manpower crunch, it needs to get serious about raising its TFR.

To be sure, the Singapore government has introduced, and enhanced, generous pro-natalist incentives over the years. But, as would be apparent from the trends, doling out more cash may not move the needle, since such perks would not necessarily appeal or even speak to couples already adamant about adhering to their lifestyle choices of not having children. While it is commendable that the authorities have moved to raise the upper age limit for elective egg freezing to 37 come Jul 1, critics have cautioned against counting on this as a solution, since most women do not use the eggs in the end.

Instead, Singapore could take its cue from China, and increase support to help couples here pay for IVF treatment. This could be particularly pertinent now that more people are getting married later, and the median age of first-time mothers here – which rose to 31 in 2020 – is likewise increasing. Fertility, of course, has an inverse relationship with age.

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If the authorities want to maintain co-payment as a matter of principle, then perhaps it should consider raising its support level for fertility treatments. Currently, the Singapore government co-funds up to 75 per cent for IVF procedures. The balance can be partially paid for using MediSave, but the amount that can be used decreases with each attempt, almost akin to some form of “penalty” for the couple, for something beyond their control, even if the intention may be to conserve MediSave funds for other future uses.

It is estimated that close to 15 per cent of couples in Singapore face fertility issues, according to SingHealth’s website. Compared to dangling procreation perks in front of ambivalent couples, this is a group of people who do actually want children but are unable to. These are the people who are ready emotionally and financially to have kids, and the state could do well to lend its full support.