PM Lee encourages S’poreans to have more ‘Dragon babies’ this year

From Yahoo News 22 January 2012:

Having A Dragon Baby

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has expressed
his “fervent” hope for Singaporeans to have more
“Dragon babies” this year.

In his Chinese New Year message on Saturday
before the start of the Year of the Dragon on the
Chinese calendar, the PM announced that
Singapore’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) “picked up
slightly” last year to 1.20, up from 1.15 in 2010.

"Singapore's Total Fertility Rate has been steadily
dropping from 1.60 in 2000 to 1.20 in 2011, despite
many government measures to encourage couples
to have more children,” Lee said.

“This is especially true for Chinese Singa­poreans, 

whose TFR has dropped from 1.43 to 1.08 over the

same period. Singa­pore's TFR picked up slightly in 

2011… but I do not think we have reversed the long-term

downward trend,” he continued.

Historically, he said more babies are born in a 
Dragon Year as some Chinese families prefer to 
have “Dragon” children, believing them to be smarter,
more successful or lucky.

“I fervently hope that this year will be a big Dragon
year for babies,” he said.

“But we should go beyond the Chinese zodiac and
traditional beliefs, and look at more fundamental factors
to encourage Singaporeans to have more children.
This is critical to preserve a Singapore core in our
society. We do not want to rely more and more heavily
on immigration, nor do we want to see our population
shrinking year by year,” he added.

Recognising that having children is a “personal decision
for families to make”, Lee assured couples that the 
government will do its part to “reduce the anxieties
and burdens of parenthood.” 

Having A Dragon Baby