Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong [EPA]
Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong [EPA]

Singapore has announced a sweeping pro-natalist package aimed at reversing a birth rate that fell to a record low last year.

Speaking at a National Day rally marking the city-state's 61st anniversary on Sunday (local time), Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said families around the world are facing growing financial pressure and pledged a "fundamental shift" in how the government supports them.

Wong said the government would give every Singaporean newborn a "birth gift" of 10,000 Singapore dollars ($7,600), with direct support continuing until the child turns 17 — totaling 70,000 Singapore dollars ($53,200) per child.

He also announced a significant expansion of paid parental leave and said the monthly fee for subsidized full-day childcare would be capped at 150 Singapore dollars ($114).

Under the new scheme, dual-income couples with one child will each receive eight additional days of paid leave, rising to 10 days for two children and 12 days for three or more.

The government also plans to give priority access to public housing to couples who have children or are expecting.

"We want to help growing families get a home faster," Wong said, adding that the government would explore further housing support measures for larger families.

Singapore's total fertility rate fell to 0.87 last year, the lowest on record. The total fertility rate measures the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime.

Experts attribute the declining birth rate to a growing number of Singaporeans choosing to remain single, as well as a trend among married couples to have fewer children or none at all.

A survey released in May by youth nonprofit Heartwire Network found that 23.53 percent of Singaporeans aged 26 to 35 said they wanted to marry and start a family, while 22.06 percent said they had no intention of forming one.

A separate poll conducted last month by YouGov found that about one in four Singaporeans between the ages of 18 and 44 currently have no children and do not plan to have any.

The government has formed a working group to review marriage and parenting policy and plans to allocate 7 billion Singapore dollars ($5.32 billion) for related projects in the 2026–2027 fiscal year, running from April 2026 to March 2027.


bbo@heraldcorp.com