A STUDY has revealed that Malaysians’ ideal number of children is above three which is considerably higher than many of its global peers and even in major Northeast Asian countries with lower fertility rates, the preference is at or below the replacement rate of 2.1.
In comparison, while Malaysia has registered a replacement rate of 3.2, Singapore registered a replacement rate of 2.3. Other countries surveyed include Saudi Arabia (3.6), the United States (2.3), Australia (2.2), India (2.2), Great Britain (2.1), Japan (2.1), China (1.9) and South Korea (1.9).
According to Ipsos Malaysia’s “Balancing Family, Work & Life” study, there is a wide range of reasons why people may delay the decision to have more children and these include, among others, the lack of a partner, concerns due to political stability and existing caring responsibilities.
Among Malaysians, it is also interesting to note that the emergence of COVID-19 has added an extra element of uncertainty and in Malaysia, concerns about the pandemic is revealed as the primary concern for delaying or deciding against having a child or another child.
The market research company further revealed that surveyed Malaysians consider both genders to be facing constraints that can be damaging to their career.
The choice to have children in particular is considered a career-impacting choice, and even though family care is more associated with constraints on women’s career prospects, the survey found that it applies to men as well.
“People around the world think differently about what the ideal family should look like,” commented Ipsos Malaysia head of public affairs Wan Nuradiah Wan Mohd Rani.
“Malaysians’ preferred number of children is more than three which is substantially higher than in most countries. In countries like Japan, China and South Korea where the population growth is stagnating or declining, the preferred number of children is below the replacement rate.
“Decisions to have children while building a career is often seen as a trade-off and especially for women. Although caring responsibilities are expected to have more of an adverse effect on women’s career, it is not completely one-sided as many Malaysians consider it a challenge that men face as well.” – April 4, 2022
