Singapore is dramatically expanding financial support for families, offering the equivalent of around £40,000 (S$70,000) for every child as the country confronts a record-low birth rate.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced the measures as part of what he described as a “fundamental shift” in how the government supports parents and children. The assistance will be provided from birth through age 17 rather than as a single payment.
Under the new SG Child Support Package, families will receive a S$10,000 baby gift, S$32,000 in annual child credits, education and healthcare support, and up to S$10,000 through the Child Development Account. Children will also receive S$10,000 toward post-secondary education at age 17. Together with existing benefits, direct government support will total around S$70,000 per child.
Singapore will also expand childcare leave, with the government taking on more of the cost rather than leaving it to employers. Larger families will receive additional support in areas including housing, healthcare, and transportation.
The measures come after Singapore’s fertility rate fell to just 0.87 children per woman in 2025, its lowest level on record and far below the replacement rate of roughly 2.1. Government officials have described the demographic decline as an “existential challenge.”
Singapore has tried for decades to encourage marriage and larger families, including through its “Baby Bonus” program, but fertility has continued to decline.
The new policy represents one of Singapore’s most ambitious attempts yet to make marriage and family life financially easier as the country confronts an aging population and shrinking younger generation.