Singapore recorded 26,071 citizen births in 2025, 10.8 per cent fewer than the 29,237 in 2024, and the resident total fertility rate fell to 0.87 from 0.97, the National Population and Talent Division (NPTD) said on 25 September in its Population in Brief 2026 report.
The total fertility rate is the average number of babies a woman would have between the ages of 15 and 49 if that year’s birth rates held. Over 2021 to 2025, Singapore averaged 29,300 citizen births a year, against 32,500 over 2016 to 2020.
Fewer babies at every birth order
The drop shows up for first children and for bigger families alike. First births to citizens fell to 12,248 from 13,519, second births to 9,015 from 10,446, and third births to 3,176 from 3,520.
Parents are also starting later. The median age of citizen mothers at their first birth was 31.9 years in 2025, up from 30.3 in 2015.
Marriages are fewer and later too
There were 21,671 citizen marriages in 2025, 5.6 per cent fewer than the 22,955 in 2024. The median age at first marriage was 30.8 for citizen grooms and 29.1 for brides, up from 30.1 and 27.9 a decade earlier.
Transnational marriages, between a citizen and a non-citizen, made up 37 per cent of citizen marriages. Inter-ethnic marriages made up 19 per cent.
Smaller families at home
Among ever-married citizen women aged 40 to 49, the average number of children was 1.75 in 2025, down from 1.91 in 2015. More married women are without children: 28.4 per cent of ever-married citizen women in their 30s, up from 21.9 per cent in 2015, and 15.3 per cent of those in their 40s, up from 11.3 per cent.
How the picture differs across communities
Fertility fell most among Chinese residents, whose rate dropped to 0.70 from 0.83. The rate for Malay residents eased to 1.53 from 1.58. Among Indian residents it was 0.92, little changed from 0.91 in 2024.
Another 1,646 children born overseas to at least one Singaporean parent were granted citizenship by descent in 2025.
Support already on the way
The figures follow the marriage and parenthood measures announced at the National Day Rally in August. The SG Child Support Package will give up to S$62,000 to every Singapore citizen child from 1 April 2027, including a S$10,000 Baby Gift for each newborn. Childcare leave will rise to 8, 10 or 12 days a year for each working parent, depending on whether they have one, two, or three or more citizen children aged 12 and below.
The same report shows the other end of the family tree growing. Singapore’s citizen population rose 0.7 per cent to 3.68 million in June 2026, and 21.4 per cent of citizens are now 65 or older, which makes Singapore a super-aged society under the United Nations benchmark of 21 per cent.
