Singapore just went all in on birth rates
Fertility fell to a record-low 0.87 in 2025. Birth rates have fallen seriously low
That’s not just a dip. That’s a whole country nowhere near replacing itself. It's a massive problem for the country
So Singapore is going directly after the biggest things making parenthood harder: money, time, childcare and housing
Money:
- Every Singaporean child will receive around S$70,000 in direct financial support from birth to age 17
- S$10,000 Baby Gift during the first year
- S$2,000 every year from age 1 to 16.
- Plus MediSave, CDA support, Edusave and another S$10,000 education top-up at 17
- And every child gets the same baseline support regardless of whether they’re the first or fourth child
Time:
Childcare leave is increasing to:
• 8 days for one child
• 10 days for two
• 12 days for three or more
And it now covers children all the way through age 12.
The government will cover the cost of statutory child-related leave up to the reimbursement limit, taking that burden off employers
Housing:
- First-time families will get an extra BTO ballot chance for every child they have or are expecting.
- More kids = more chances of securing a home.
The BTO income ceiling is also rising from S$14,000 to S$16,000
Childcare:
- Government-supported full-day childcare is being pushed toward S$150/month and infant care toward S$300/month by 2030
Cash alone was never going to fix collapsing birth rates.
Singapore is attacking the actual friction around having children: the cost, the time, childcare and getting a home
If you want people to have more children, make having children easier
Singapore is actually trying that