Lawmakers urge action amid declining birth rate

Lawmakers have once again raised concerns about Macau’s declining birth rate, urging the implementation of comprehensive measures to encourage higher birth rates, alongside improved maternity leave and childcare policies.

In the third quarter of the year, Macau recorded only 2,619 births, a decrease of 132 compared to the same period last year.

Even with retroactive measures, such as the temporary maternity leave compensation subsidy scheme, the situation remains challenging for both companies and workers.

The prevalence of dual-income households underscores the need for businesses to play an active role in supporting families.

However, due to current economic uncertainties, many SMEs face unsatisfactory operating conditions, said lawmaker Wong Kit Cheng.

Additionally, Wong said that working parents experience other challenges as daycare facilities’ operating hours often do not align with parents’ work schedules, complicating transportation arrangements for children. Financial constraints have also become a critical consideration for many young women contemplating motherhood.

While government initiatives, such as providing 15 years of free education and free healthcare for children under 10, offer some support to families, the persistent pressures of high inflation and rising living costs, coupled with a lack of timely policy updates, have rendered the government’s measures to promote childbirth less effective.

Wong proposed several measures to address these issues.

She noted that the temporary maternity leave compensation subsidy scheme, extended by two years and seven months, aims to simplify the application process and promote a family-friendly environment, and should be further extended.

Wong also suggested enhancing incentives through administrative regulations and reassessing demographic policies to better support aspiring families.

Lawmaker Song Pek Kei suggested improvements in health, education, and social benefits policies to bolster Macau’s birth rate, through offering free daycare services, revising birth allowances, and introducing child-rearing subsidies.