Singapore’s fertility rate drops to historic low of 0.87 as country faces ‘existential challenge’: DPM Gan

Even as the government redoubles its efforts to support Singaporeans in starting families and having more children, the country will still need “carefully managed” immigration flow to augment its low birth rate, said the deputy prime minister.

While most Singaporeans recognise the case for immigration, this is not the full picture, he said, noting people’s concerns and anxieties. 

“Will bringing in immigrants mean fewer job opportunities for us? Will the Singapore that my children grow up in feel vastly different from the one that I grew up in? I understand these concerns,” said Mr Gan. 

“And we take these concerns over competition and our social fabric seriously. We will continue taking steps to address them.”

Singapore granted about 25,000 citizenships in 2025, he said. 

The country expects to take in between 25,000 to 30,000 new citizens each year over the next five years, said Mr Gan, noting that this depends on other demographic trends including the total fertility rate. 

“We will also have to adjust our PR (permanent resident) intake, as permanent residence is the pathway to work towards citizenship,” he added. 

Singapore’s PR population has remained stable at 540,000 over the last few years, said Mr Gan. 

The country expects to take in about 40,000 PRs each year in the next five years, more than the 35,000 granted in 2025, he said. 

In 2024, 22,766 people were granted citizenship and 35,264 individuals were granted permanent residency. In general, the figures have been trending upwards since 2013.