Singapore's fertility crisis: Could flexible & remote work be the answer?
In a country where 57% of young adults are unmarried, workplace reforms could reshape demographic trends: new research shows reduced hours and remote work could increase childbearing plans up to 79%
According to a new study, "Flexible Working Arrangements and Fertility Intentions: A Survey Experiment in Singapore," by researchers Senhu Wang of the National University of Singapore and Hao Dong of Peking University, Singapore's fertility rate has plummeted to 1.1 births per woman - one of the lowest in the developed world. With over half of Singaporeans aged 20-39 now unmarried, the country faces serious demographic challenges.
The big picture: The intersection of work culture and family planning has created a perfect storm in Singapore:
A "kiasu" (fear of losing) culture drives extreme work schedules
Workers average 45 hours per week, with 23% working over 48 hours
Traditional expectations tie marriage closely to childbearing
Women face disproportionate work-family conflicts
What they did: Researchers conducted a groundbreaking experiment with over 1,000 unmarried, employed Singaporeans to test how different workplace policies might affect family planning decisions.
Data & Insights:
Fertility intentions increased significantly under flexible arrangements:
79% higher odds with reduced hours (36 vs 44-hour weeks)
55% higher with flexible schedules
63% higher with remote work options
Key findings by demographic:
Women showed stronger positive responses than men across all options
Professional/managerial workers had the strongest increase in fertility intentions
Work-family conflict mediated about 30% of the effect
Effects held even after controlling for marriage intentions
Current workplace statistics:
45 average weekly work hours (vs 35 in Europe)
Maximum allowed: 58 hours (vs 48 in Europe)
23% work more than 48 hours weekly
56.8% of 20-39 year olds remain unmarried
Impact by flexibility type:
Reduced hours:
Strongest overall effect
Only option showing significant impact for men
31% of effect explained by reduced work-family conflict
Flexible scheduling:
More impactful for women than men
Particularly strong for professional workers
38.8% effect mediated by work-family balance
Remote work:
Similar impact level to flexible scheduling
Strongest effect for women in professional roles
41.7% of impact tied to reduced work-family tension
Between the lines: The research suggests workplace rigidity may be a bigger barrier to family formation than previously understood, especially for educated professionals and women.
The bottom line: As countries worldwide grapple with falling birth rates, workplace flexibility could be a powerful tool - especially in high-pressure Asian economies.