{"id":32139,"date":"2026-02-27T17:17:40","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T09:17:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=32139"},"modified":"2026-02-27T17:17:40","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T09:17:40","slug":"pm-wong-says-higher-wages-not-one-off-payouts-tackle-cost-pressures-singapore-fertility-hits-new-low-of-0-87-population-decline-looms-singapore-live-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=32139","title":{"rendered":"PM Wong says higher wages, not one-off payouts, tackle cost pressures; Singapore fertility hits new low of 0.87, population decline looms: Singapore live news"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Singaporean family with young children at Singapore's East Coast Park\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/x.ntbCL.LMx4swyjrls0wg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyODA7aD04NTI7Y2Y9d2VicA--\/https:\/\/media-mbst-pub-ue1.s3.amazonaws.com\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2026-02\/9092e480-1385-11f1-bfdf-d86b9f86c197\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal dialogue\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<div style=\"max-height:none;overflow:visible\">\n<p>Singapore needs a reset on marriage and parenthood, said Indranee Rajah. (PHOTO: Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p><span>(Carlina Teteris via Getty Images)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">A new work group will be set up to examine <a rel=\"noopener\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\" href=\"https:\/\/sg.news.yahoo.com\/almost-24-700-couples-singapore-085200480.html\" data-i13n=\"cpos:1;pos:1\" data-ylk=\"slk:marriage;cpos:1;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" target=\"_blank\">marriage<\/a> and parenthood issues after Singapore\u2019s resident total fertility rate (TFR) fell to a record low of 0.87 in 2025, based on preliminary figures. Speaking in Parliament on 26 Feb, Minister in the Prime Minister\u2019s Office <a rel=\"noopener\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\" href=\"https:\/\/sg.news.yahoo.com\/using-capital-value-assess-property-143718894.html\" data-i13n=\"cpos:2;pos:1\" data-ylk=\"slk:Indranee Rajah;cpos:2;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" target=\"_blank\">Indranee Rajah<\/a> said a broader reset is needed in how society views and supports marriage and parenthood.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">She said this includes rethinking how workplaces can better support family life and recognising that everyone has a role to play if Singapore is to change its current path.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The work group, to be formed with relevant agencies, will be chaired by Indranee, who is also Second Minister for Finance and National Development.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The Government will also enhance its Marriage and Parenthood Survey in 2026 to better understand how attitudes and perceptions have shifted, she said during the debate on the Prime Minister\u2019s Office budget.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Singapore\u2019s <a rel=\"noopener\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\" href=\"https:\/\/sg.news.yahoo.com\/pore-fertility-rate-sinks-low-091432433.html\" data-i13n=\"cpos:3;pos:1\" data-ylk=\"slk:TFR;cpos:3;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" target=\"_blank\">TFR<\/a> declined from 0.97 in 2024 to 0.87 in 2025, the lowest on record.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cTrying to raise our TFR has always been a priority, but with the latest figures, this has acquired a new urgency,\u201d said Indranee, who oversees the marriage and parenthood portfolio.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">She noted that Singapore is not alone in facing falling birth rates. Countries once seen as models of relatively higher fertility, such as France and the Nordic nations, are also experiencing declines.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">In the region, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam have also seen downward trends, while in China, deaths now outnumber births.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cThe Government is wholly committed to addressing this issue head-on and we will spare no effort to arrest and reverse this decline,\u201d Ms Indranee said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">However, she stressed that the challenge cannot be tackled by the Government alone and requires a collective effort across society.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">For more on the work group to study <a rel=\"noopener\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\" href=\"https:\/\/sg.news.yahoo.com\/pore-needs-reset-views-marriage-100828629.html\" data-i13n=\"cpos:4;pos:1\" data-ylk=\"slk:marriage and parenthood issues;cpos:4;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" target=\"_blank\">marriage and parenthood issues<\/a>, read here.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/sg.news.yahoo.com\/live\/singapore-live-news-pm-wong-says-higher-wages-not-one-off-payouts-tackle-cost-pressures-singapore-fertility-hits-new-low-of-087-population-decline-looms-023759369.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article At Source <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Singapore needs a reset on marriage and parenthood, said Indranee Rajah. (PHOTO: Getty Images) (Carlina Teteris via Getty Images) A new work group will be&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32140,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2611],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32139","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-buzz-headlines","wpcat-2611-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32139","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=32139"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32139\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/32140"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=32139"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=32139"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=32139"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}