2024 Dragon Year fails to boost Singapore's total fertility rate

Slight rise in number of resident births, but fertility rate remains at record low of 0.97

- Theresa Tan Senior Social Affairs Correspondent

The Chinese Year of the Dragon failed to lift Singapore's total fertility rate (TFR), which remained low at 0.97 in 2024 – the same figure as in 2023.

Said Ms Indranee Rajah, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO): "The Dragon Year effect has been diminishing over the years, reflecting the generational shifts in attitudes and priorities among young couples."

Preliminary data showed that there were 30,800 resident births in 2024, a slight increase from the 30,500 such births in 2023, said Ms Indranee, who oversees the National Population and Talent Division under the PMO.

A resident birth refers to a child who is born to at least one parent who is a Singaporean or permanent resident.

The slight increase in the number of babies born in 2024 did not lift the TFR, which refers to the average number of babies each woman would have during her reproductive years. The preliminary TFR was still 0.97 in 2024, and addressing the low TFR remains a national priority, Ms Indranee said.

Speaking in Parliament on Feb 28, she pointed out that the low fertility rate and the rapidly ageing population have significant implications on Singapore's economy and society.

"As our local workforce growth slows, it will be increasingly challenging to sustain economic growth and maintain a dynamic economy," she said. "There will be fewer young people to support a growing elderly population."

In 2023, Singapore's TFR fell to below 1 for the first time, dropping to a record low of 0.97 – among the world's lowest. What it means is that the average number of children each woman has is less than what is needed to replace those in the population who die.

A replacement rate of 2.1 is the level of fertility at which the population replaces itself from one generation to the next.