 The total fertility rate, in short, TFR, is a predictive number of births per woman in a year based on the last annual figures of births per woman of childbearing age. Last year, Hong Kong recorded the lowest ever total fertility rate at 0.9925, with only 46,200 babies born, in mark contrast to 63,396. In order to maintain a stable population, a total fertility rate of 2.1 is needed. Hong Kong's rate is far below those of other societies. Gaza, for example, recorded a rate of 6.1 last year. None of the industrialised developed societies had a total fertility rate of 2 or above. Hong Kong's rate was on a par with European averages, but, in comparison, was still lower than its East Asian counterparts, such as Singapore. The rate of 1.25 recorded in Singapore last year was a considerable drop compared to 1.7 in the mid-1990s. While the number was still higher than Hong Kong's 0.9925, the Singaporean government is alarmed. Unlike their Hong Kong counterpart, which has not taken any practical actions, they take a more comprehensive approach to solving the problem and focus on encouraging more Singaporean citizen babies. Extending the period of maternity leave, providing increased financial assistance for child and infant care, and enhancing tax incentives are among the numerous measures their government is prepared to implement to combat the accelerating decline in TFR. The Hong Kong government, on the other hand, has proposed nothing but verbal encouragement for families to have more children.