Under the Large Families Scheme, which was announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong last year, families receive additional benefits worth up to S$16,000 (US$12,427) for their third and any subsequent Singaporean children born on or after Feb. 18, 2025.<\/p>\n
The support package offers immediate and long-term financial relief through several different channels. It includes a S$10,000 top-up to the child’s Child Development Account (CDA). These funds can be used for eligible preschool and healthcare expenses incurred by either the child or their siblings.<\/p>\n
![\"People](\"https:\/\/vcdn1-english.vnecdn.net\/2026\/06\/11\/ankur-madang3zdvhtwbs-unsplash-5785-6138-1781164172.jpg?w=680&h=0&q=100&dpr=1&fit=crop&s=ZI_7sGxpj14WbOfrIDMXJA\") <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| \n People gather on a pier near Marina Bay Sands in Singapore in 2021. Photo by Unsplash.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n Families also receive a S$5,000 Large Family MediSave Grant. This is credited directly to the mother’s MediSave account and comes in addition to the standard S$5,000 grant already given to all Singaporean newborns. The grant can be used to cover pregnancy and childbirth-related costs, as well as approved medical expenses for dependents.<\/p>\n Finally, eligible children receive S$1,000 annually in Large Family LifeSG Credits from ages one to six. These credits are meant to ease the burden of everyday household expenses, including groceries, utility bills, and transportation costs.<\/p>\n A spokesperson for Singapore’s Ministry of Social and Family Development told The Straits Times<\/em> that about 5,000 children had received both the enhanced CDA grant and the Large Family MediSave Grant as of March.<\/p>\n Even families who had a third or later child before the February 2025 launch date can benefit. They may qualify for the LifeSG credits if they meet certain conditions, such as having a Singaporean child born between Jan. 1, 2019, and Feb. 17, 2025.<\/p>\n According to the ministry, more than 33,000 children received the Large Family LifeSG Credits in 2025.<\/p>\n Combating a demographic crisis<\/strong><\/p>\n These sweeping incentives come as Singapore faces a severe demographic challenge. In 2025, the resident total fertility rate fell to a record low of 0.87. Researchers studying demographic trends note that an increasing number of couples are actively choosing to have only one or two children.<\/p>\n Despite the low birth rates, the Southeast Asian city-state boasts massive economic strength to fund these initiatives. Singapore was recently named the richest country in Asia and sixth in the world<\/a> in the 2026 Prosperity Index released by insurance comparison platform HelloSafe.<\/p>\n The index measures wealth using five key indicators: GDP per capita in purchasing power parity, gross national income per capita, the Human Development Index, income inequality, and relative poverty rates.<\/p>\n Earlier this year, The Economist<\/em> ranked Singapore as the world’s second-richest country after Switzerland in terms of GDP per capita.<\/p>\n Kalpana Vignehsa, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, told The Star<\/em> that the government’s decision to classify households with three or more children as large families reflects just how rare a third child has become.<\/p>\n She explained that the policy is precisely designed to support parents at the stage where many couples typically decide not to expand their families further.<\/p>\n However, Vignehsa cautioned that it remains too soon to assess whether the initiative has successfully resulted in an increase in third or higher-order births. She noted that decisions about having another child are often made over several years and are shaped by a complex range of factors, including career commitments, childcare support, and overall financial circumstances.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n |