Singapore’s fertility rate sinks to new low of 0.87, citizen population could shrink by early 2040s

Preliminary figures show only about 27,500 resident births in 2025, the lowest number in Singapore’s recorded history. - Illustrative photo: ST

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s resident total fertility rate (TFR) sank to a new low of 0.87 in 2025 - a significant fall from 0.97 in 2024 - deepening concerns over how the ultra-low birth rate and rapidly ageing population will reshape society and economy.

Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said on Thursday (Feb 26) that with birth rates falling at an unprecedented pace, the growth of the citizen population has slowed over the past decade even with immigration.