$55,000 per child: Singapore's desperate bid to persuade people to have babies. Details inside
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "$55,000 per child: Singapore's desperate bid to persuade people to have babies. Details inside")
'Have children, government will stand with you': Singapore unveils S$70,000 family support plan Photograph: (Pexels)
Singapore is dramatically expanding financial support for families as its birth rate falls to a historic low. The new package could provide almost S$70,000 or about $55,078 USD for each child, but will money be enough to persuade more Singaporeans to become parents?
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.
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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.
