“The data reflects a population crisis … where the mindset towards having children has changed”
—Teera Sindecharak, an expert on demography at Thammasat University.
UNLIKE say 20 or 30 years ago, it is becoming very rare nowadays to find a single family having between six and eight children, which was the norm then.
In fact, we would be lucky to find a family of four children, which can also be considered rare. Overall, it is very common to find new couples contented with two children at most while some prefer only one and others opt to remain child-free.
This trend appears to encompass all races irrespective of their economic status. The worst is when both husband and wife are working. They are faced with the challenge to decide between giving up their career and raising a family. And, more often than not, they would settle for the former.
It is understandable in cases where both husband and wife are in the low-income bracket and they live in urban centres where they are heavily burdened by the increasingly escalating cost of living including rentals, transportation and daily needs.
Social and economic implications certainly play a major role in influencing their decisions.
But what about those more affluent couples? Apparently, they prioritise career prospects and in achieving their ambitions over starting families.
If left unchecked, this unhealthy phenomenon would pose serious implications to state and country. It would certainly shrink our population as is happening in many developed countries in the world now. The worst affected will be the minority communities such as the Bidayuh in Sarawak.
According to the Statistics Department, the birth rate for Malaysia for this year alone is 15.873 births per 1,000 people, a 1.3 per cent decline from last year.
In 2022, the birth rate for Malaysia was 16.066 births per 1,000 while in 2021 it was 16.528 births per 1,000 people, a decline of 1.17 per cent from 2020.
In 2020, Malaysia’s population stood at 32.4 million compared to 27.4 million in 2010, with an average annual growth of 1.7 per cent, the lowest recorded since 1970.
Worldwide, currently, China, Russia, South Korea, Germany, Spain, and Japan are said to be experiencing a rapidly shrinking population.
Based on finding by researchers, China is forecast to lose almost half of its population, from 1.4 billion to 771 million people, by 2100.
If possible, the authorities must come up with some sort of incentives that would encourage or even require new couples to have more children.
As for the needy couples, perhaps, the government should consider providing them with some form of financial assistance to enable them to support their respective families.
The authorities must act now before it is too late. Otherwise, we will be joining the ranks of many countries in the world today that are facing a seriously ageing or shrinking population.
Overall, based on numerous studies, no fewer than 23 countries which include Spain and Japan are facing the challenge of a shrinking population. Spain and Japan are expected to witness their population shrinking by half come 2100.
Russia, South Korea, and Germany are also set to join the downward trend, with their populations expected to start declining, by 2030.
Surprisingly, while many countries are seeing declining populations, researchers said the African continent would see a drastic jump from 1.4 billion to 3.9 billion inhabitants by 2010. Currently, the continent accounts for around 18 per cent of the world’s population but by 2010 it would increase the figure to around 38 per cent.
Based on findings of studies, published by UN recently, the swiftly declining population of many countries was due mainly to the persistently low birth rates, high mortality, and continued emigration. Other factors include increase in income, employment and education, failure to effectively handle epidemic and disasters and sickness.
In comparison, Malaysia is still not at a panic stage yet. However, there is no room for complacency especially the minority races, such as my own race, the Bidayuh in Sarawak. The Bidayuh accounts for only about 10 per cent of Sarawak’s 2.97 million population.
I don’t have the actual figure but going by just the average number of children per family, it is obvious that the Bidayuh is also facing a rapidly shrinking population.
In recent years, most Bidayuh couples including those living in the villages are having on average two children per family. Many young Bidayuh individuals, it seems, are opting for urban lifestyles, prioritising career prospects over raising big families. Furthermore, changing societal dynamics and the desire for financial stability before starting a family have led to delayed marriages hence a decline in fertility rates.
If every new Bidayuh couple sticks to only two children, it is not impossible for the community to face the risk of going extinct in the future. The same goes with the other small communities.
Another key factor contributing to a shrinking population, but which is more often than not being overlooked, is inter-marriages. As more and more Bidayuh women marry men from other races, it would definitely reduce the Bidayuh population as their children’s race would automatically follow that of their father.
This issue of shrinking population has far-reaching implications for the cultural heritage, social cohesion, and economic development of not only the Bidayuh but all Sarawakians and Malaysians in general. Bidayuh will, however, be one of the most affected communities due to its comparatively small population.
To address the negative implications, the government must step in to help resolve the underlying factors by implementing targeted strategies as well as providing support and incentives for young couples to start families. In addition, the government should also look into access to affordable housing, childcare facilities, and parental leave policies that can be instrumental in promoting family formation. All these will one way or another, help alleviate the financial burden associated with raising children hence contributing to a healthy growth of our population.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of the New Sarawak Tribune.
