Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-m9kch Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-02T18:06:11.820Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Ethnic fertility differentials in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

Swee-Hock Saw
Affiliation:
Department of Economics and Statistics, National University of Singapore

Summary

Differences in fertility between the three major ethnic groups (Malays, Chinese and Indians) in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore have existed since before the onset of fertility decline in the late 1950s and remain today, although the relative positions and the actual differences have changed due to the varying rates of decline. By 1987, the Malays experienced the highest fertility and the Chinese the lowest in both countries but in Singapore the Malay fertility was lower than the Chinese fertility in Peninsular Malaysia. The fertility differentials will lead to changes in the ethnic composition in both countries but more so in Peninsular Malaysia.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Chang, C. T. (1974) Fertility Transition in Singapore. Singapore University Press, Singapore.Google Scholar
Djamour, J. (1966) The Muslim Matrimonial Court in Singapore. Athlone Press, London.Google Scholar
Freedman, M. (1957) Chinese Family and Marriage in Singapore. HM Stationery Office, London.Google Scholar
Gordon, S. (1964) Marriage/divorce in the eleven states of Malaya and Singapore. Intisari, 2, 23.Google Scholar
Hajnal, J. (1953) Age at marriage and proportion married. Popul. Stud. 7, 111.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hirschman, C. & Fernandez, D. (1980) The decline of fertility in Peninsular Malaysia. Genus, 36, 93.Google Scholar
International Statistical Institute (1978) The Malaysian Fertility and Family Survey 1974: A Summary of Findings. Hague.Google Scholar
Khoo, T. H. (1983) Malaysia: General Report of the Population Census, Vol. 1. Department of Statistics, Kuala Lumpur.Google Scholar
Lin, L. L., Jones, G. & Hirschman, C. (1987) Continuing fertility transitions in a plural society: ethnic trends and differentials in Peninsular Malaysia. J. biosoc. Sci. 19, 405.Google Scholar
Saw, S. H. (1966) Pattern of fertility decline in Malaya, 1956–65. Kajian Ekonomi Malaysia, 3, 7.Google Scholar
Saw, S. H. (1967a) A note on the fertility levels in Malaya during 1947–57. Malayan econ. Rev. 12, 117.Google Scholar
Saw, S. H. (1967b) Fertility differentials in early postwar Malaya. Demography, 4, 641.Google Scholar
Saw, S. H. (1970) Singapore Population in Transition. University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia.Google Scholar
Saw, S. H. (1980) Population Control for Zero Growth in Singapore. Oxford University Press, New York.Google Scholar
Saw, S. H. (1986) A decade of fertility below replacement level in Singapore. J. biosoc. Sci. 18, 395.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Saw, S. H. (1988) The Population of Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore University Press, Singapore.Google Scholar