SINGAPORE - Singapore’s total fertility rate fell to a new low of 0.87 in 2025, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong told Parliament.

He said the city-state will need to carefully manage immigration flows to supplement its declining birth rate.

According to a report by Channel News Asia, the fertility rate fell below 1.0 for the first time in 2023 to 0.97 and remained unchanged in 2024.

Gan said that despite stronger government support for parenthood and financial incentives, immigration will remain necessary.

“Even as we redouble our efforts to support Singaporeans in starting families and having more children, we will still need carefully managed immigration flow,” he said.

He added that Singapore’s citizen population grew by 0.7 per cent in 2025.

Gan said about 25,000 people were granted citizenship last year.

He said the country expects to admit between 25,000 and 30,000 new citizens annually over the next five years, depending on demographic trends.

“We will also have to adjust our permanent residency (PR) intake, as permanent residence is the pathway to work towards citizenship,” he added.

Gan said the permanent resident population has remained stable at about 540,000 in recent years.

He said Singapore plans to take in around 40,000 new permanent residents each year over the next five years, compared with 35,000 in 2025.

Noting that the fertility rate stood at 1.24 a decade ago, Gan said the sharp decline will profoundly reshape the country.

He said low birth rates and population ageing will have major social and economic implications.

Singapore recorded about 27,500 resident births in 2025, the lowest in its history, he said.

“The overall trend is also of grave concern.

“Marriage rates have come down, and those who are married have fewer children or no children,” he added.