Fertility refers to the average number of children born to women during their lifetime (French Institute for Demographic Studies). The problem of low fertility rate has been one of the alarming demographic challenges faced by many countries and cities, including Hong Kong. The fertility rate in Hong Kong has consistently been well below the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman. The following essay on fertility rate will draw from the fertility situation in Hong Kong, followed by the causes, impacts and suggestions related to the problem. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Hong Kong has had low fertility rates for decades, with a downward trend. According to the Department of Census and Statistics, the total fertility rate decreased from 1,235 births per 1,000 women in 2014 to 1,072 in 2019. Furthermore, according to Hong Kong's Fertility Trend, the net reproduction rate, which eliminates the effect on Fertility rate driven by sex ratio, decreased from 921 in 1981 to 540 in 2017, or almost half the replacement level of 1,000. Furthermore, according to Hong Kong's population projections 2017-2066, the fertility rate is expected to continue to decline, from 1,205 live births per 1,000 women in 2016 to 1,166 in 2066. Therefore, in the context of the declining fertility rate, in Hong Kong's fertility rate will further lag the replacement level in the foreseeable future. Evidently, Hong Kong is facing serious fertility problems. Although low fertility rate is a global problem faced by many different countries, Hong Kong's fertility rate is still low compared to other regions. Central Intelligence Agency data shows that Hong Kong ranks the fourth lowest in the world in terms of total fertility rate, which is just 1.2 births per woman. The figure is already significantly low. However, the figure appears to have overestimated Hong Kong's fertility rate. Dr Law Chi-kwong said the figure would be much lower if the 9-10% of children born to non-permanent resident mainland women and Hong Kong spouses, as well as domestic workers, were excluded from the count. Additionally, Hong Kong's total female population is expected to be higher as mainland Chinese mothers married to permanent residents of the city and domestic workers are not included in the count. Therefore, the actual local fertility rate in Hong Kong is expected to be lower than the figure of 1.2 births per woman used in the ranking. Therefore, Hong Kong's fertility rate is believed to be among the lowest in the world. The low fertility rate in Hong Kong has imposed many challenges on the city's development. The declining fertility rate has been one of the factors contributing to Hong Kong's aging population. In 2019, the population aged 65 and over accounted for 17.6% of the total population. Undoubtedly, Hong Kong is becoming an aging society according to the definition that a country is defined as “aged” when the share of people aged over 65 is more than 7%, “aged” when it is 14% or more . As the fertility rate declines in an aging society, there will be a reduction in the workforce, meaning fewer taxpayers. The elderly support rate is expected to decrease from 3.93 in 2018 to 1.48 in 2066. Therefore, taxpayers' tax burden will be increased to support the growing demand for elderly welfare. At the same time, with the smaller workforce, constraints are imposed on Hong's developmentKong in different areas, such as innovation and technological aspects. Therefore, Hong Kong's economic performance may worsen. Therefore, it is essential to solve the problem of low fertility rate in Hong Kong. The main cause of the low fertility rate in Hong Kong is the lack of willingness to give birth to children. According to an interview conducted by TheCome quoted in Yip, by the Family Planning Association of Hong Kong (FPAHK), as many as 67.3% of the women interviewed would not want to have their first or further child, while only 15.3 % received positive responses. Additionally, the 2016 Youth Sexuality Study reported that average ideal parity continued to decline to 1.33 among females and 1.37 among males. Furthermore, according to a study conducted by FPAHK cited in Yip, approximately 28.4% of respondents reported that their ideal number of children was zero. Clearly, the willingness to have children among Hong Kongers is low. A low willingness to have children is the result of a combination of factors, including an unfavorable social environment and a decline in traditional beliefs. First, a social environment unfavorable to procreation reduces people's willingness to have children. According to a survey conducted, 56.7% of respondents said that the living environment in Hong Kong is not suitable for raising children. From a financial point of view, raising a child involves high costs. A survey showed that 71.4% of respondents do not want to have children due to the financial burden of having them. Referring to the Bauhinia Foundation Research Center in Hong Kong, cited in Gu, the cost of raising a child from birth to graduation in Hong Kong averages about HK$5.5 million for a middle-class family . Under conditions of inflation, the cost of raising children is much higher today. To raise a child, in addition to basic expenses, such as food and clothing, there are also high expenses for education in order to pave the way for children's successful future, and high university fees are paid to attend lectures and tutorials extracurriculars. classes. High rents for small apartments in Hong Kong have also deterred couples from having children. Hong Kong is known for high rents and Nano-apartments. To raise a child, couples would have to pay higher rents for a larger apartment to accommodate the family. Therefore, the high costs of raising a child discourage citizens from giving birth. In addition to the financial deterrent, the enormous responsibilities of parenthood also discourage people from having children. 59.3% of those interviewed would like not to have children because they believe that raising them is a huge responsibility. Not only do parents have to shoulder a huge financial responsibility, but also the responsibility of caring for their children. Although the government has provided various types of support for child care services, the amount is far from satisfactory. In 2018, there were only 12 subsidized nurseries in Hong Kong. The average wait time for government-subsidized preschool rehabilitation services is between 13.5 and 18.2 months. Without adequate child support, people, especially working parents, are less motivated to have children as they may worry about childcare arrangements. If they have children, working parents may have to resign or hire domestic workers to care for their children, which further increases their financial burden. Furthermore, Hong Kong parents need to start planning children's lives from an early age, such as attending various playgroups and interview classes, to win on the starting line and make them become potentialparticipants from prestigious schools. Therefore, the condition in Hong Kong puts enormous pressure on parents and discourages people from giving birth. Second, the decline in traditional beliefs has decreased people's propensity to have children. Individualism is growing among young people, who value personal interest more than family. Instead of emphasizing lineage continuity, people, especially young people, accept small family structures or even childless families. Hong Kong women are now more educated and career-oriented, so they would like to develop their careers or interests rather than taking care of children at home. Additionally, women may find it difficult to balance family and work. Therefore, people have a lower desire to give birth. In addition to a lower willingness to give birth, late marriage and spinsterhood also contribute to a low fertility rate. A shortened fertile period after marriage is the result of postponing marriage. The average age of women at first marriage increased from 25.3 in 1986 to 29.7 in 2018. The average age of women at first birth also increased from 26.6 in 1986 to 31.8 in 2018. However , it has been found that women's fertility decreases with increasing age. For women, the easiest time to get pregnant is before the age of 30. With postponed marriage it is therefore more difficult for married women to get pregnant. Furthermore, the higher prevalence of spinsterhood causes fewer births in the city. Referring to statistics, from 1986 to 2018, the number of never-married people aged 15 years and older increased by 59.7% and 11.7% for women and men, respectively. There is also a lower desire to get married among young people, with only less than half of 18-27 year olds saying they want to get married in the future. For the reasons above, the result is a decline in the fertility rate. The declining fertility rate is an alarming demographic challenge, so the government has introduced various measures in hopes of alleviating the problem, such as extending paternity leave and reducing taxes. Many other tips to alleviate the problem will be discussed. First, the government can provide more financial support to parents. There are large expenses for newborns, such as purchasing diapers and a crib. Taking a cue from Singapore's Baby Bonus Scheme and Japan's Childbirth and Childcare Lump-sum Grant, by providing subsidies to families with newborns, it is hoped this will reduce their financial burden, addressing the biggest concern of the high expense of having children. Furthermore, in the context of late marriages, the government can provide more subsidies for medical fertility treatments. With lower pregnancy costs for infected couples, they may be more willing to become artificially pregnant. Therefore, the fertility rate can be increased. Second, the government can promote family-friendly employment practices. There is currently 10 weeks maternity leave and 5 days paternity leave. However, the entitlement still falls far short of the International Labor Organization standard of 14 weeks of maternity leave. Therefore, it is suggested that the government extends the duration of maternity leave in order to reduce the pressure on childcare. Another measure is to encourage flexible working arrangements, such as home working and flexible working hours. Some companies even allow workers to bring their own children to work and provide on-site child care. In Australia, for example, the insurance company IAG was one of the first companies to organize a national holiday assistance program.