Singapore Calls for 30% Population Growth

Asia’s vibrant city state has a problem: Its citizens are not producing enough children to sustain the economy. The government’s response is traditional and paradoxical: More people spur a society’s economic growth and wealth, but more children for individuals can curtail careers and prosperity. Singapore’s government has released a report pointing to a need for foreign workers as long as Singapore women resist having children. The report forecasts possible population growth of 30 percent by the year 2030, about one third from immigration of so-called “non-residents,” reports Jeremy Grant for the Financial Times, who adds, “Foreign workers currently make up 28 per cent of a total population of 5.3m.” Resistance to foreign workers is high in Singapore, where they’re blamed for congestion and high housing prices. That leads to another paradox – whether immigrants will flock to a land where they can’t expect equal protections, benefits or a pathway to citizenship. The government has unveiled new incentives to encourage citizens to marry and reproduce. Expect would-be parents to scrutinize that deal for cradle-to-death health, tuition, housing, employment and other benefits. – YaleGlobal