&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "$55,000 per child: Singapore's desperate bid to persuade people to have babies. Details inside")
Singapore is rolling out a major step to address its falling birth rate. The nation is set to provide families with almost S$70,000, or about $55,078 USD or £40,000, for each child from birth to age 17 as it steps up efforts to reverse one of the world's lowest birth rates.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced the measures during Singapore's annual National Day Rally, describing them as a "fundamental shift in how we support families".
The new package will begin with a S$10,000 baby gift, while similar support will be available for higher education when a child turns 17. Families will also receive additional grants covering education, healthcare and childcare, alongside lower nursery fees for preschool children.
More childcare support for parents
Singapore will also expand childcare leave and cover the full cost through government funding rather than leaving employers to absorb part of the expense.
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
The government hopes the change will reduce concerns that hiring parents, or people who may have children in the future, could create additional costs for employers.
Families applying for subsidised public housing will also have better odds in allocation ballots, with their chances increasing with each additional child.
"Today, families everywhere are under growing pressure," Wong said. "We want every family to know: if you choose to have children, the government will stand with you. We will provide more support, and over more years."
Singapore's birth rate hits new low
The measures come as Singapore struggles with a prolonged decline in fertility. A YouGov survey of 496 Singaporeans aged 18 to 44 last month found that almost one in four had no children and did not plan to have any in the future. Around 30 per cent said there was nothing the government could do to make them more willing to have children.
Singapore introduced its Baby Bonus scheme in 2001, when the fertility rate stood at 1.41. The rate fell to 1.2 a decade later and reached a record low of 0.87 last year.
That was lower than Japan's 1.14 and among the lowest fertility rates recorded globally.
Why is Singapore struggling to persuade people to have children
The government faces a broader challenge seen across developed economies, where the financial cost of raising children, housing pressures, and the potential impact on careers can discourage people from becoming parents.
Vincent Chua, a sociology professor at the National University of Singapore, said modern work demands leave many people with little time or energy for family life.
Wong did not specify the total cost of the expanded programme, but said the government was prepared to take on a much larger share of childcare and preschool expenses. "I believe this is one of the best investments we can make," he said.
