The main influences on a Hong Kong woman's decision to conceive come from her husband and his parents, according to a report released by the Hong Kong Society of Reproductive Medicine on Tuesday.
The report, entitled Starting Families Asia, was conducted over the past two years and surveyed 1,000 women.
It found that two in three women believe having a child is the most important thing in their life, yet Hong Kong is one of five of Asia's most prosperous nations with the lowest fertility rates in the world. The others are Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan.
Hong Kong's fertility rate is 1.1, well below the replacement rate of 2.1.
The report was commissioned by Merck Serono company, a world leader in fertility treatment, that funds public health education workshops across the Asia Pacific.
The company's chief executive, Dr Martin Erbes, spoke with reporter Stephen Quinn.
