Question 1 (100 marks)
Research Proposal
Singapore’s resident total fertility rate hit an all-time low of 1.05 in 2022, dipping below the previous record of 1.1 in 2020 and 1.12 in 2021. “This was partly due to the Tiger year in the Lunar calendar, which is generally associated with lower births among the Chinese,” Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Indranee Rajah said in Parliament on Friday (Feb 24). More people in Singapore are postponing marriage, Ms Indranee noted, adding that more couples are also delaying having children or having fewer children. This is in line with longer-term global societal trends. It also comes as people in Singapore are living longer.

As mentioned in the article, fertility rates in Singapore have been declining throughout the past decade. In addition, an ageing population places an increasing burden on society in many ways, including an increase in healthcare expenditure and a shrinking workforce.

You have been appointed by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) to prepare a research proposal that aims to investigate the contributing factors that are associated with the declining fertility rate in Singapore. This will help inform future planning of government
policies and national budgets.

Apply your knowledge in research methods and statistics to develop a research proposal that examines the factors that are associated with or contribute to the declining fertility rate in Singapore. Report how you would design the study and analyse the data. Assuming that your results support your hypothesis, interpret and evaluate the results and their implications, while also discussing the limitations of your study.