Low Fertility

Introduction

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Singapore's government spends approximately $1.3 billion annually on trying to boost its fertility rate
This includes $15,000 parental packages per child

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Russia's population has been shrinking since the 1990's
This was propelled by low fertility rates and high mortality rates due to excessive alcoholism and HIV transmitted through drug use
The Russian government declared September 12th 2007 as its National Day of Conception
Couples were given this day off work to try and conceive a child
June 12th 2008 was Russia's National Day
Anyone who gave birth on Russia's National Day could win either money, a fridge or a car
Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has pledged to spend £33 billion in order to boost its fertility by 30% over the next 5 years

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Japan's fertility rate is so low that one demographer predicts that the Japanese could become extinct in the next 1000 years
Japanese toiletries company Unicharm now claims to sell more adult nappies than baby nappies

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Romania was reaching zero population growth in the 1960's
The Romanian government implicated a policy in which people living in Romania aged 25 or above with no children must pay a higher tax than those living in Romania aged 25 or above with children

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Becker suggests that some parents now want a good quality of life for their child or children rather than a large quantity of children
Most parents cannot afford to have quanity and quality so most now have a smaller amount of children giving them a good quality of life
Quality of life is expensive in terms or direct costs and indirect costs
Direct costs include food, healthcare and education for the child
Indirect costs include time (especially the mothers), loss of working hours and loss of place on the career ladder.

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