Preliminary estimates indicate a resident total fertility rate of 0.97 in 2023.
SINGAPORE – The resident total fertility rate in Singapore dropped below 1 for the first time in the Republic’s history.
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. 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.”In 2023, there were 26,500 resident marriages and 30,500 resident births, she said during the debate on population issues.
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.5-year baby bonus, subsidies to freeze eggs: Meet the boss who pays staff to have babies It is also exploring other sustainable ways to help parents juggle between work and family commitments, she said.
Hegen’s founder Yvon Bock said its family-friendly policies have resulted in better retention, as well as increased satisfaction and productivity among its employees. She said: “Having flexible working arrangements really helps to ease the mum guilt. Because when your baby is so young, it is really hard to be away from them.”