The survey by voluntary welfare organization I Love Children showed that mental readiness was the second most cited reasons for not having more babies, while money tops the list, local daily Straits Times reported on Monday.
In a similar survey conducted in 2010, about three in 20 said they were not mentally ready for more babies.
The survey conducted last year covered 600 people, with the majority married for more than two years but childless. The rest were single, soon-to-wed, newly wed, married with a child or married with two children.
Other reasons cited were time, career being a priority, and the lack of quality or affordable child care support.
Singapore`s fertility rate has been way below the replacement rate of 2.1 children per woman on average. It dipped to a record low of 1.15 in 2010 and rebounded slightly to 1.2 last year. However, political leaders and observers have said that the trend is still not for it to rebound to anywhere near 2.1 in the foreseeable future.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong called on people in the city state to have more babies and said that more would be done to reduce the burden of parenthood with measures like the baby bonus scheme and efforts to create a supportive social climate and attitudes.
(U.I027/M016)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
