Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has said his government will focus on making life better for families and rely less on incentives to encourage citizens to have more babies, as the city state grapples with a record-low fertility rate.
Wong acknowledged the limits of government efforts to reverse falling birth rates, a challenge confronting countries around the world.
“Think about it less as procreation incentive,” he said at a Singapore Press Club dialogue on Monday. “Think more about what are the moves we can make to really make life better for families in Singapore.”
It’s happening everywhere in the world. No one has the answers for now
Singapore has been trying to reverse a decline in its birth rate by handing out incentives including baby bonus cash gifts, expanded paternity leave and eased egg-freezing rules. Still, the city state’s resident total fertility rate fell to a record low of 0.87 in 2025. Financial costs, the stress of raising children and having to manage work and family demands were common factors cited in family planning decisions.
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The government said in February it would set up a ministerial task force to tackle this “existential challenge” and unveiled nearly S$7 billion (US$5.4 billion) in marriage and parenthood initiatives. Singapore is also on track to become a super-aged society this year with a fifth of its population aged 65 and above, compounding concerns about the sustainability of its population.
Singapore joins other countries in facing a similar challenge. Japan’s fertility rate tumbled to a fresh low while France, China and Malaysia have also seen declining birth rates. South Korea saw its fertility rate rise for a second year in 2025 with their family-friendly policies. The uptick in South Korea, which has long struggled with having the world’s lowest birth rate, offers some hope that fertility trends can shift.
“We should have some humility,” Wong said. “It’s a global challenge. It’s happening everywhere in the world. No one has the answers for now.”