LETTERS: In recent years, an increasing number of couples have chosen a child-free lifestyle, motivated by personal, societal and economic considerations.
When a couple chooses to be child-free, the decision can have far-reaching effects on a country's demographic structure, especially the potential decline in the population.
According to the Demographic Statistics released by the Department of Statistics Malaysia, the country's birth rate decreased by 10.2 per cent to 100,732 in the second quarter of the year, compared with 112,197 births in the same period last year.
If many couples opt not to have children, this can lead to a shrinking population, which poses challenges, such as an ageing society and a smaller pool of workers.
This also puts pressure on the working-age population that must support a growing number of retirees. A shrinking population might also cause a labour shortage, stifling economic progress.
As a result, as firms look for ways to compensate for the diminished labour, the use of automation and technological improvements may accelerate.
A child-free trend may also influence consumer behaviour, resulting in lower demand for child-related items and services such as education, childcare
and toys, impacting sectors that rely significantly on family spending.
Socially, the rise of child-free couples can lead to cultural shifts in how society views family structures.
The absence of children in a significant portion of the population might necessitate stronger social support systems for older adults.
In many cultures, children are expected to care for their ageing parents, but as fewer people have children, the demand for public or community-based elderly
care may rise.
From an environmental perspective, a smaller population typically leads to less resource consumption, waste and demand for housing and infrastructure.
This could have positive effects such as reduced carbon emissions and a slower pace of urban sprawl, potentially contributing to more sustainable living conditions.
In response to these developments, governments might need to reconsider their policy approaches.
Some countries introduce pro-natalist policies, like incentives to encourage childbearing, such as tax breaks, parental leave, and childcare support, to counteract declining birth rates.
Alternatively, countries facing labour shortages might adopt more open immigration policies to attract younger, working-age individuals, helping to sustain economic growth and balance the population structure.
Such policy shifts would be essential for addressing the challenges and opportunities arising from a growing child-free population.
DR RAHIDA MOHD ISMAIL
Penang Institute
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times