Fertility

The AI economy is accelerating the global baby bust

We must ask whether our system makes having children a viable choice, says the writer.
THE BROAD VIEW

Want to solve Singapore’s fertility problem? Start by rethinking caregiving at work

Besides enabling more equitable access, direct government subsidies for egg freezing would also boost Singapore's birth rate, says the writer.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Could Singapore government consider providing financial assistance for egg freezing?

Not all who choose not to have children are responding to the same constraints, say the writers.

Fertility is not a ‘single problem’

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?

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

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

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

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

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