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Singapore’s total fertility rate hits record low in 2023, falls below 1 for first time

2024-02-28 00:00:00.0 海峡时报-新加坡原网页

SINGAPORE – The resident total fertility rate (TFR) in Singapore dropped below 1 for the first time in the Republic’s history.

Preliminary estimates indicate a resident TFR of 0.97 in 2023, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Indranee Rajah said in Parliament on Feb 28.

The persistently low fertility rate comes alongside an ageing population, posing twin demographic challenges for Singapore, she said.

The TFR, which refers to the average number of babies each woman would have during her reproductive years, fell even further from 1.04 in 2022 and 1.12 in 2021.

Ms Indranee gave various reasons for this, including the Covid-19 pandemic disrupting some couples’ marriage and baby plans, and laid out the measures the Government has taken in recent years to support marriage and parenthood.

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A TFR of 0.97 places Singapore among those countries with the lowest birth rates globally, with South Korea topping the list with a TFR of 0.72 in 2023.

Singapore’s fertility rate is well below the replacement rate of 2.1 – the level of fertility at which the population replaces itself from one generation to the next.

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Like in many other developed countries, falling fertility rates reflect a generational change in priorities, and young people may not even see marriage or parenthood as important life goals, she said.

But it has serious implications for Singapore’s future, she said, adding that countries such as South Korea and Italy are grappling with economic slowdowns and falling wages that are compounded by their low birth rates and the resulting demographic changes.

She said: “With fewer births, we will face a shrinking workforce. It will be increasingly challenging to maintain our dynamism, attract global businesses and create opportunities for the next generation.”

However, she noted that young Singaporeans still aspire to settle down and have children.

In 2023, there were 26,500 resident marriages and 30,500 resident births, she said during the debate on population issues.

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However, there were fewer resident marriages and births each year on average over the past five years, compared to the preceding five-year period.

A resident marriage is one involving at least one Singapore citizen or permanent resident (PR), while a resident birth refers to a baby who is born to at least one parent who is a Singaporean or PR.

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Ms Indranee also gave an update on a new move to allow elective egg freezing to help women preserve their fertility.

About 200 women have gone for elective egg freezing, which is done for non-medical reasons, since it was allowed in June 2023, she said.

Before the landmark change, women could freeze their eggs only for medical reasons, such as when they had to undergo chemotherapy, which could adversely affect their fertility.