Fertility

Fertility is not a ‘single problem’

If the reasons for not having children are varied, the policy response must be too

Eggs frozen in a woman’s late 20s or early 30s preserve her reproductive potential at a healthier stage, giving her greater flexibility to align career development with family planning.

Can egg freezing help Singapore companies retain female talent?

As Singapore confronts record-low fertility and an ageing population, supporting reproductive choice could support workforce resilience

The low birth rate among residents and an ageing population pose challenges for the private housing market.
THE LEVEL GROUND

Migrants key to Singapore private housing’s long-term health amid low births

More foreigners becoming PRs and citizens can support demand for private homes

For professionals, having children may involve high direct and indirect costs. But there are also unique rewards, says the writer.
SENSE & CENTS

Having a child can be a financial mistake, but that’s okay

The costs of raising kids are high, and parents’ employability may suffer

If children generate positive externalities – fiscal, social and strategic – then public co-investment should mirror that reality across the life cycle.
THINKING ALOUD

Children are national assets. Our support must reflect that

A case for treating children as Singapore’s long-term equity

Without new measures, Singapore's citizen population will begin to shrink by the early 2040s, warns Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong.
SINGAPORE BUDGET 2026

Budget 2026: Singapore’s total fertility rate at new low of 0.87 in 2025; new workgroup to relook family support strategies

Republic faces an ‘existential challenge’: One in five of its citizens is 65 or older, up from one in eight 10 years ago, DPM Gan warns

The challenge of bumping up fertility rates is particularly acute in Asia, where the most successful economies are ensnared by rock-bottom birthrates and rapidly ageing societies.

How keeping up with the Joneses in parenting is crimping fertility

A new study urges policymakers to consider taxing private education or scaling back favourable treatment

When it comes to making life decisions, such as about marriage, we have become too used to weighing up the pros and cons, and looking at the dollars and cents, says the writer.
THINKING ALOUD

Is marriage just another high-risk investment?

The reason given for singledom is an eminently practical one: ‘together costs’ are spiralling

Though the number of people is still rising, the fertility rate has been plummeting. And not just in the rich world: Two-thirds of people now live in countries where it is below the “replacement rate” of 2.1.
THE BROAD VIEW

Don’t panic about the global fertility crash

A world with fewer people would not be all bad

China‘s population fell for a third consecutive year in 2024, with experts warning of a worsening downturn, after decades of falling birth rates.

China unveils childcare subsidies in push to boost fertility

[BEIJING] China rolled out on Monday an annual childcare subsidy of 3,600 yuan (S$645) until age three, as authorities look to spur a flagging birth rate with fewer young people choosing to have child...