First-time blood donor age limit to be raised from 60 to 65 from Jan 1

Move comes amid longer life expectancy and people getting stronger in their older years

- Syarafana Shafeeq

The upper age limit for first-time blood donors in Singapore will be raised from 60 to 65 from Jan 1, 2026, with improvement in life expectancy and people getting stronger in their older years.

The move to expand the blood donor pool comes amid local data which shows that adverse donor reactions, like fainting and dizziness, decrease among first-time donors as they get older, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on June 28.

This change also aligns with practices in places such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Ireland, the Netherlands, South Korea and the United Kingdom. These territories and countries generally allow first-time donors aged 65 to 69.

The current first-time donation age limit is 60. People who have donated blood before can continue to do so up to the day before their 66th birthday.

Mr Ong made the announcement to raise the age limit at a World Blood Donor Day event held by the Singapore Red Cross (SRC) and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).

"Each blood donation saves up to three lives, such as a child battling cancer, a mother in labour or an elderly person undergoing surgery," he said at the event at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre.

In 2024, more than 35,000 patients in Singapore received lifesaving blood transfusions.