How rising transport costs affect Malaysian fertility trends

Sinar Daily

a day ago

Transportation may not be the first topic couples consider when planning for children. Still, the rising costs of car ownership, from monthly repayments to upgrading to a family-sized vehicle, were becoming an essential factor.
Transportation may not be the first topic couples consider when planning for children. Still, the rising costs of car ownership, from monthly repayments to upgrading to a family-sized vehicle, were becoming an essential factor.
SHAH ALAM – Rising car prices and transport expenses are significantly influencing family planning decisions for young Malaysian couples, moving beyond mere lifestyle choices to become a critical factor in how they envision their future.
According to Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Lecturer and Specialist in Obstetrics and Gynaecology Dr Siti Hajar Abd Azman, transportation was one of many interlinked socio-economic factors influencing family size in Malaysia. While often overlooked, rising car ownership costs are becoming a key factor for couples planning to have children.
'Determining family size in Malaysia is influenced by a complex web of socio-economic factors, including career aspirations, housing conditions, childcare support, healthcare access and significantly, transportation.
"While car ownership may not be the primary determinant of family planning, it often plays a crucial supporting role, especially when considering the cost of living,' she told Sinar Daily.
She clarified that while career goals and housing were typically more visible influences, the affordability of a vehicle from purchasing it to maintaining it, insuring it and fueling it, could have real implications on a couple's decision to expand their family.
'For instance, larger families may require bigger vehicles for safety and space, but the financial ability to acquire such vehicles can be limiting. Couples who cannot afford a larger car or feel burdened by transportation costs may choose to delay or reduce the number of children they plan to have,' she said.
Dr Siti's insights were drawn from her experience in medical practice, where she had observed a recurring theme in patient consultations. While career goals and housing were typically more visible influences, the affordability of a vehicle from purchasing it to maintaining it, insuring it and fueling it, could have real implications on a couple's decision to expand their family. - Photo generated by Sinar Daily
Many patients had brought up the financial strain of car ownership, particularly loan repayments and escalating maintenance costs, as a contributing reason for postponing or reconsidering plans to have children.
While transportation expenses were seldom the sole reason behind such decisions, Dr Siti believes they frequently played a role within a larger web of financial considerations.
'These concerns, while not always the main reason, are part of a broader financial picture that includes housing affordability, educational expenses and childcare logistics.
"Patients often cite difficulties fitting more children into smaller cars or struggling with the practicality of managing a growing family without a reliable vehicle. These everyday considerations make transportation a very real factor in family planning discussions,' she said.
Dr Siti stated that the rising cost of living in Malaysia significantly influenced how families planned for the future. Expenses such as car loans, fuel, maintenance, housing and childcare all played a role in shaping decisions about family size.
As a result, she observed that more couples were choosing to have fewer children to preserve their quality of life and ensure financial stability.
'In many cases, families opt for smaller households to maintain a better quality of life and financial stability. Especially in urban centres, the limited living space in apartments and smaller homes also adds to the perception that larger families may not be practical,' she said.
Although Malaysia lacks data specifically linking car size or vehicle affordability to national fertility rates, Dr Siti said the trend fits into a regional context.
'Although there may not be specific studies directly linking car size or transportation limitations to fertility rates in Malaysia, regional research supports the idea that socioeconomic growth often leads to declining fertility.
"The fertility rate in Southeast Asia has dropped from 5.5 per cent in 1970 to 2.4 per cent in 2015 and continues to decline. These shifts reflect broader economic and social changes, where financial concerns, including transportation, influence reproductive choices.
"Studies consistently point to factors like income, housing and healthcare access as significant influences on family size, and material constraints such as the affordability and practicality of car ownership fit into this larger context,' she said.
Ultimately, decisions about having children are deeply personal, but they are also increasingly practical.
'While transportation alone may not be the decisive factor in determining family size, it is undeniably part of the broader equation.
"As the economic landscape continues to evolve and the cost of living rises, Malaysian couples are increasingly making practical, financially informed decisions about how many children to have and whether their car, or lack thereof, fits into that plan,' she added.