(Adnkronos) – Singapore is focusing on new economic incentives to counteract the collapse of the birth rate, offering families almost 70,000 Singapore dollars, approximately 47,000 euros, in direct support for each child up to 17 years old. The new package was announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during the traditional National Day Rally speech. “We want to make it easier for Singaporeans who wish to have children to start and raise a family,” Wong explained, as quoted by the Financial Times. Measures include a contribution of 10,000 Singapore dollars (approximately 6,700 euros) at birth and another 10,000 for future education, as well as an expansion of parental leave and facilities for purchasing a first home.
The city-state, with just over six million inhabitants, is facing a particularly deep demographic crisis, with one of the lowest birth rates in Asia (only Taiwan and South Korea fare worse, in addition to Hong Kong and Macao). In 2025, the fertility rate dropped to a historic low of 0.87 children per woman, compared to 0.97 the previous year, and far from the 2.1 threshold needed to ensure generational replacement. Singapore is also set to become a “super-aged” society this year, according to United Nations parameters, with at least 21% of the population aged 65 or older, thus joining the group of countries that includes, among others, Japan, Italy, and Germany. By 2030, one in four Singaporeans is expected to be at least 65 years old. “If you choose to have children, the government will be by your side. We will provide more support and for a longer period,” Wong assured, admitting, however, that “our total fertility rate will likely remain well below replacement level.” Without immigration, the prime minister warned, the population would decrease and age even more rapidly. The government therefore intends to continue welcoming new immigrants at a “measured and sustainable” pace, despite concerns from part of the population about the impact on housing prices and competition in the labor market, while ensuring that “Singaporeans remain the majority in their own country.”
