Commenting on the reasons for the fall in births last year, SMU Dean of Students and Professor of Sociology (Practice) Paulin Straughan said the Covid-19 pandemic played a part, as couples may put off getting married and having children when the economy is bad and things are uncertain. She noted that the number of marriages fell by 10.9 per cent from 25,434 in 2019 to 22,651 last year. Prof Straughan added, "This past month has cemented our concern that the pandemic is far from over."
