According to the Macao Bureau of Statistics, there were 5,026 newborn babies in Macao in 2021, a decrease of 519 year-on-year, and the birth rate was 7.4 per thousand, the lowest level recorded since 2005. In the end, the younger generation is reluctant to have children? What are their concerns?
"Raise a child for a hundred years, and worry about ninety-nine." Recently, the chief executive in the Legislative Council Q&A meeting, when mentioning the issue of fertility caused heated discussion in the society, many netizens even opened a post to discuss the "Birth Of The Scripture", what conditions must graduate students have? After the children are born, will the society have enough supporting facilities to let them grow up healthy and happy?
"Two is enough to dry the number", I believe that many Hong Kong and Macao people from the details of the lyrics of the big Hong Kong Family Planning Association propaganda song, in the past 50s and 60s almost every family had ten eight brothers and sisters, "too much birth" became a social problem of that year, so the government called on residents to reduce fertility.
However, in the 1980s and 1990s, most people would only have two or three children, and when the "post-80s" and "post-90s" grew up to become a family, the younger generation was even less interested in childbearing, and families with fewer children and childless children abounded, and some were more attached to pets. Many people blame this situation on economic expenditures and social life pressures.
Housing stabilized manpower
First of all, on the property price, the property price in Macao continues to be high, even if the young people who have reached the marriageable age may not be able to afford the property price, waiting for the public housing and "accompanying the run", if there is no fixed place to live after giving birth to children, the final bitter are children.
On the stable care of manpower, to know that taking care of a child is not an easy task, especially newborn infants and young children are the "ultimate big guy", in addition to regular time, sleepless feeding, newborn resistance is weak, or from time to time will be twisted or even sick, newborn parents often run in the middle of the night in major medical institutions and other idle.
Take on parenting responsibilities
More importantly, although the government has introduced paternity leave and extended maternity leave in recent years, it has not been in line with international standards, and it takes a long time for women to recover without proper recuperation after childbirth, but it takes a lot of energy and time to take care of newborn children, coupled with the economic burden that not every family can take care of full-time, is the friendly family policy in line with actual needs? Is the supervision of domestic helpers in place? Obvious.
Of course, low birthrates are a common problem in many regions, many high-welfare countries have lower birth rates, and as senior officials have said, whether to have children is more of a matter of personal will. In fact, some new generations of families with financial ability choose to "follow the fate" or prefer to enjoy the world of two people when it comes to having a B.
Raw or alive? How many? I believe there is no standard answer. The hope is to seriously consider before childbearing, because raising a child has a lot of responsibility, and it cannot be impulsive or hasty to make decisions for the sake of socializing with elders. Partners or couples can discuss the division of labor after childbirth and make financial planning as soon as possible. I believe that what children need most is not a wide shelter and rich material resources, but the love and love of their parents, so that they can grow up healthy and happy.