BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Brunei's total fertility rate (TFR) is the third lowest after Singapore and Thailand in the region, according to a report by the World Bank.
According to local daily the Borneo Bulletin on Sunday, Brunei's TFR dropped to 1.7 percent per woman in 2018 compared to 1.8 percent in 2017, 2016 and 2015. Eight years ago (2012), the rate was 1.907 percent.
TFR is the average number of babies born per woman throughout her reproductive life.
As more Bruneian women join the workforce, the number of children likely to be born decreases, the daily reported, quoting local experts' words.
They said the low fertility rate is mainly due to couples marrying late in life, and the rising cost of living, especially when it comes to the cost of raising children.
