Singapore is doing so much to encourage people to have children as the city-state grapples with a record low birth rate and a rapidly aging population.
The government has proposed a much larger family support package that could provide around S$70,000 about US$55,000 to support every Singaporean child from birth to age 17.
The move comes as Singapore's overall fertility rate fell to just 0.87 children per woman in 2025, well below replacement level of about 2.1. But it has fallen despite years of government programmes that have made parenthood more affordable.
What Does the New Support Package Offer
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced these measures at Singapore’s 2026 National Day Rally. The government will replace the Baby Bonus and Large Families schemes with a new SG Child Support Package.
Because Singapore Citizen children will benefit from the new system when they are grown up, eligible Singapore Citizen children will receive support at the same time not those families who do not receive the majority of benefits at birth.
The official government announcement says the package, along with ongoing support, will provide approximately S$70,000 for each child up to age 17.
The package includes a S$10,000 Baby Gift, payments and credits to education and healthcare, and various other child-related support. And the government will also strengthen parental leave arrangements and provide more support for working parents who are struggling to pay for childcare.
Why Is Singapore Offering So Much
Singapore fears what a shrinking younger population will mean for the future workforce and economy. A lower birth rate means fewer young people will enter the workforce over the next decades while the number of older citizens continues to rise.
The country is already moving towards a “super-aged” population structure. By 2030, one in four Singaporeans is expected to be aged 65 or older, according to reports.
The government wants to eliminate the financial burden of raising children and thus make having a family easier. Housing, childcare, education, and the pressure of balancing careers with parenting are also the challenges in decision making on having children.
Will Money Be Enough
And the bigger question is whether financial incentives alone can reverse Singapore’s fertility decline.
Singapore has offered family benefits for years. Its Baby Bonus scheme, announced in 2001, has helped parents have money but fertility is still dropping. Now the Baby Bonus is based on a child’s birth order and supports vary.
The government itself has acknowledged that financial assistance cannot solve the whole problem. Fertility is still likely to remain below replacement levels even with stronger family support, Wong said.
Singapore also needs immigration to be part of its strategy for managing population and workforce needs.
Singapore’s new move shows how seriously governments are starting to react to falling birth rates. A nation that does not just pay a one-off payment to new parents is attempting to take care of children through their whole childhood.
But whether billions of family help will convince more young Singaporeans to become parents, however, is still an open question.
