Ways for Minimizing Birth Rate

Large population can be seen as a potential of employment and prospective market can be used as a pillar of economic growth in the country. Various economic literature and growth economic indicate population growth is an important factor driving economic growth. Development countries tried to increase the population growth to sustainable economic growth by providing various incentives to make people want to get married and produce many children. But different occur condition in developing countries where the government tried hard lower birth rate. Large rather than a blessing for development, but the burden, because the government should provide employment, health, education, and other public service.
Minimizing birth rate can be done for KB programs. But there needs to be additional programs to complement KB programs. One way to curb the birth rate is to lower infant mortality. To reduce the infant mortality rate, there is no other way beside improving maternal health service to mother and child, improving nutrition of mothers and children, and expand public access to health facilities. It is believed, although the average education of mother in Indonesia is still low, they behave like rational economic agents. The second strategy is to expand opportunities for women working in the formal sector. The expansion of employment opportunities in the formal sector will increase the opportunity cost for women so they will directly reduce the production of children. The third strategy is the improvement and expansion of educational opportunities for women. Increase education means shortening the productive age women to produce children, increase the rationality of women and expand opportunities for women working in the formal sector. Last strategy is social security old age. One reason for parents to have children is that in the old days there was a caring and contributing financially. If this function can be taken over by the state social insurance program old days, will reduce anxiety and provide certainty to the relevant parents in old age life. As such, they voluntarily reduce the amount of children production.
Minimizing birth rate with KB programs must be adjusted with the times and socioeconomic conditions of society. If the factors can be resolved, the public believed would reduce the number of children in the family. And it can increase society safety.