Singapore’s Birth Rate Crashes to Record Low; Government Unleashes Huge Benefits to Encourage More Babies

SINGAPORE, Aug 24: Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has announced a major package of childcare and housing measures as the city-state struggles with a record-low birth rate and growing concerns over the cost and pressures of raising children.

Under the new measures, each Singaporean child will receive nearly SG$70,000 ($55,150) in direct support through the age of 17, including a SG$10,000 baby gift. The government will also expand paid childcare leave and aims to reduce monthly fees for subsidized full-day childcare to SG$150.

“Today, families everywhere are under growing pressure,” Wong said during his National Day Rally speech on Sunday. “We want to make a fundamental shift in how we support families.”

Singapore’s total fertility rate fell to a record-low 0.87 last year, prompting the government to review its policies on marriage and parenthood. The country is also expected to become a “super-aged” society this year, with one in five residents aged 65 or older.

Under the revised childcare leave system, working parents will receive eight days of leave if they have one child aged up to 12, 10 days for two children and 12 days for three or more children. A working couple with three school-age children would therefore receive 24 days of childcare leave, compared with just four days previously.

The government will cover the cost of statutory child-related leave up to the reimbursement limit, reducing the financial burden on employers. Wong said he was not ruling out further expansion of paid parental leave but would keep the current arrangements for now to allow employers time to adjust.

The government will also give couples priority when applying for their first subsidized public housing unit for every child they have or are expecting, helping larger families secure homes sooner.

From Monday, the income ceiling for public Build-to-Order flats will rise to SG$16,000 from SG$14,000, while the ceiling for executive condominiums will increase to SG$18,000 from SG$16,000. Additional housing support for larger families will also be considered.

Beyond family policies, Wong announced plans for stronger online safety requirements for children. Social media platforms could face additional restrictions, including a possible increase in the minimum age for access above 13 if their safeguards are deemed inadequate.

Wong said platforms currently rely too heavily on users declaring their own ages and called for “robust and reliable checks” to properly enforce minimum-age requirements.

Singapore also plans to merge several islands south of Jurong Island to create a larger site for industries such as advanced manufacturing and power infrastructure. The government is separately studying the possibility of building undersea tunnels linking Pulau Tekong to the mainland.