SINGAPORE, (PNA/Xinhua) — Singapore’s total fertility rate bounced further back to 1.29 in 2012, according to an official report released on Thursday.
The Population in Brief Report, released by the National Population and Talent Division in the Prime Minister’s Office, showed that the improvement was seen in all ethnic groups, though it is still well below the replacement level of 2.1.
Singapore’s total fertility rate fell to a record low of 1.16 in 2010 and bounced back a bit to 1.2 in 2011.
Efforts must be continued to provide a supportive environment for Singaporean to achieve their aspirations of getting married and having children, the report said.
The total population of the city state grew by 1.6 percent last year, the slowest growth rate in the last nine years, as the government moved to tighten foreign labor and immigration policies over the past several years.
Since the tightening of the immigration framework in late 2009, the number of new permanent residents, or foreigners with permanent residency, has decreased from an average of 58,000 a year in the five years from 2004 to 2008 to about 30,000 a year in the last three years.
As of the end of June this year, Singapore’s total population was 5.4 million, with 3.31 citizens and 0.53 million permanent residents.
The rest 1.55 million are work pass holders, dependents, and international students.