Singapore, which has one of the lowest birthrates in the world, announced Monday a one-time “pandemic baby bonus” to encourage couples to conceive children despite the coronavirus-induced economic downturn seen across the globe.
“We have received feedback that COVID-19 has caused some aspiring parents to postpone their parenthood plans,” Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said in parliament on Monday. “To help with expenses during this period, we will introduce a one-off additional support for newborns.”
Meanwhile, other south Asian countries, such as Indonesia and the Philippines, are experiencing the opposite problem and may face massive spikes in pregnancies during coronavirus lockdowns. The United Nations Population Fund estimated unintended pregnancies in the Philippines will increase by nearly half to 2.6 million if restrictions on movement remain in place until the end of the year.
Leave a Reply