The lack of the number of newborns a year(below the replacement rate of 2.1 children per woman) to replace the current population.

Some of the countries that are experiencing Birth Death:

1) Europe with a fertility rate of 1.4 according to the 2002 U.N. population report.

2) France and Ireland with a fertility rate at 1.8 children per woman.

3) Italy and Spain, with a fertility rate at 1.2 children per woman.

4) Germany with a fertility rate of 1.4 children per woman.

5) Singapore with a fertility rate of 1.26 births per woman.

Causes Of Birth Dearth:

1) As urbanization occurs, more people will be leaving in the city thus cost of having a child will be higher. People will feel that having children would be a burden instead of an asset thus resulting in more people having lesser children or no children. “As the United Nations reported, people everywhere are leaving the countryside and moving to cities, which will be home to more than half the world's people by 2007. Once there, having a child becomes a cost rather than an asset.”

2) Increasing female literacy and enrollment in school. Women with a higher education and literacy level will tend to be more career-minded than women in the past who have a lower education thus women in present days may prefer to have a successful career instead of getting married and having children.

3) Population control measures that are implemented in the past to reduce population growth. For example, In Singapore, the government implemented policies and measures in the 1950s and 1960s to reduce the rapid population growth. These policies includes encouraging the use of contraceptives, legalizing abortions and introducing disincentives such as no paid maternity leave for the third and subsequent children, increasing delivery charges for each additional child etc.

Countries that are experiencing birth dearth have a slow population growth which results in the country facing an ageing population.

Impact of An Ageing Population:

1) Impact on the economy:

• Fewer younger workers as the workforce becomes increasing older thus fewer people at work to drive the economy and generate growth

• An ageing workforce is not attractive to investors. This may deter foreign investors from investing in the country thus there will be a decline in investment and this will cause a decline in the economy.

• As the population shrinks, there may not be enough talented people to sustain the country’s development.

2) Impact on the society:

• More resources have to be diverted to take care of the increasing number of senior citizens in the country.

• In Singapore, an ageing population would means fewer young men to serve in the armed forces and to defend the country.

Solutions:

1) Government may provide incentives for people to have more children and lower the cost of having children. For eg. In Singapore, the government gives baby bonus and extend the

2) Government may implement family-friendly policies that help women combine work and motherhood. For example, France and the Netherlands have implemented policies ranging from tax credits for kids to subsidized day care. Scandinavian countries have kept birthrates up with generous provisions for parental leave, health care and part-time employment. In Singapore, families with three or more children and given priority to buy bigger government flats, monthly subsides for the first four children attending approved childcare centres, giving baby bonus.

Done By : Ng Xin Yi