Study of Global and Regional Fertility Trends and Factors Driving

Faculty of Arts, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada

^* Corresponding author: a63zhao@uwaterloo.ca

Abstract

This study examines the main drivers of fertility decline in China, South Korea and Singapore, including economic pressures, sociocultural changes, and limitations in policy implementation. Despite a variety of policies implemented by the governments of the three countries to encourage fertility, high cost of living, employment pressures, and changing attitudes toward marriage and parenthood have kept fertility low for a long time. Fertility decline has already had far-reaching impacts on the demographic structure, labor markets and social security systems, and without effective measures, it may exacerbate the problems of slowing economic growth, labor shortages and increasing pension burdens in the future. In addition, low fertility may lead to smaller families, changes in intergenerational relations and a decline in social dynamics, further affecting social stability. To address this challenge, countries should adopt more integrated policies, including reducing childcare costs, optimizing the workplace environment, promoting gender equality, and inducing social attitudinal changes, to create a more child-friendly environment for sustainable socio-economic development.