SINGAPORE – A new inter-agency work group will aim to mobilise the broader society to support Singaporeans in marrying and having children, amid the Republic’s fertility rate declining to a new low of 0.87.
Aimed at helping Singaporeans as they navigate marriage and parenthood, the group will examine issues including financial costs, work-life support, housing, healthcare, pre-school and education.
The Marriage and Parenthood Reset Workgroup, chaired by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah, comprises eight other political office holders from the Health, Education, Manpower and other relevant ministries. It will produce a full report with its findings in early 2027, though it may make recommendations earlier.
Speaking to the media on April 29 at the Prime Minister’s Office at The Treasury, Ms Indranee said the work group marks a shift away from earlier approaches that focused largely on policy measures such as increasing subsidies, Baby Bonus payouts and Child Development Account support.
Instead, it aims to mobilise a broad range of stakeholders – including employers, religious organisations and the wider community – in what Ms Indranee described as a national, collective effort.
She noted that decisions around marriage and parenthood are shaped by intangible factors and cannot be addressed through policy alone. “We have identified mindset shift as a big part of the work… and (this) has to be done in collaboration with society,” she said. “So although we are a work group… my entire committee is whole of Singapore, because we need the whole of Singapore.”
Asked about measurable outcomes and timelines, she said there are no specific targets but added that she hoped there would be broader indicators of progress. “What would really, really be good is if we have more babies than we had last year, and if our TFR (or total fertility rate) figure is better than it was last year.”
She added that success would also be reflected in more opportunities for young people to meet and form relationships, and for those debating whether to have children to see that there is support and joy in having families.
Other signs of progress would include reduced stigma around fertility treatments and more progressive workplace practices that better support work-life balance.
The work group will focus on three areas: developing a long-term road map to reset societal perceptions and support for marriage and parenthood; proposing policy moves to address key concerns and enable these shifts; and mobilising society to support Singaporeans in their family journeys.
Ms Indranee said it will approach its work in two broad ways.
It will first focus on the Government’s role, including reviewing its policies to better support families in areas like the cost of raising children and access to affordable housing. It will also look at what society as a whole can do to contribute to this national issue.
“We will be engaging widely to get ideas and feedback and to secure the commitment of stakeholders,” Ms Indranee said. “I ask all Singaporeans to be part of this effort and to help change the trajectory of our TFR through the power of our collective effort.”
The work group, which had its first meeting in March, comes as the Republic hit its lowest resident TFR to date at 0.87 in 2025, down from 0.97 in 2024.
Ms Indranee said that if this trajectory continues, it will have “profound and serious consequences” for Singapore.
