Singapore has announced plans to provide each child with nearly S$70,000 in government support from birth through the teenage years as the country steps up efforts to address its declining birth rate.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced the measures during the National Day Rally, where he outlined new family support initiatives alongside plans for technological development and long-term infrastructure projects.
“Every Singaporean child will receive almost S$70,000 in direct financial support as they grow up,” Wong said, adding that the government wanted to give families greater confidence and support throughout their children’s upbringing.
Under the new SG Child Support Package, each child could receive up to S$62,000 in direct support from birth to age 17, although the money will be distributed through different programmes rather than paid as a single lump sum.
The cash component will total S$42,000. This includes a S$10,000 cash gift paid in two instalments during the child’s first year, followed by S$2,000 in annual child credits from age one to 16.
The package will also include a S$5,000 grant deposited into a Child Development Account, with the government providing up to another S$5,000 in matching contributions.
At age 17, children will receive a further S$10,000 top-up to their post-secondary education account.
Existing benefits, including a S$5,000 MediSave grant for newborns and approximately S$2,500 in education contributions, will also form part of the broader package, bringing the total value of government support to nearly S$70,000 per child.
Transitional payments under the new measures are expected to begin in 2027.
The government is also planning to make childcare more affordable. From 2028, monthly fees at government-supported centres will gradually be reduced, with full-day childcare targeted at S$150 per month and infant care at S$300 per month by 2030. Current monthly fees are around S$600 for full-day childcare and more than S$1,000 for infant care.
The measures come as Singapore continues to grapple with one of the world’s lowest fertility rates. The country’s resident total fertility rate fell to 0.87 children per woman in 2025, down from 0.97 in 2024.
Singapore recorded nearly 30,000 births in 2025, representing an 11.4 per cent decline from the previous year. Births among citizens also fell by 10.8 per cent to slightly more than 26,000.
The Singapore government allocated approximately S$7 billion for marriage and parenthood measures in the 2026 fiscal year as part of its efforts to encourage family formation and support parents.
Singapore has a population of about 6.11 million, comprising approximately 3.66 million citizens, 540,000 permanent residents and 1.91 million non-residents.