Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announces new pro-family measures

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During the annual National Day Rally, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced significant new pro-family measures aimed at reversing the city-state's declining fertility rate, which reached a historic low of 0.87 in 2025. The policy changes include increasing childcare leave based on the number of children a parent has, with the government covering the full cost rather than sharing it with employers, as well as topping up funds for children's post-secondary education and reducing fees at government-supported schools. Prime Minister Wong characterized these measures as a vital investment, noting that the government intended to absorb a larger share of childcare and preschool costs. An inter-agency workgroup chaired by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah was also established to address the fertility trend.

Consequences

The government will assume a significantly larger portion of childcare and preschool financial obligations to incentivize families to have children. Additionally, the formation of an inter-agency workgroup suggests a formal, coordinated approach to managing the demographic decline alongside the introduction of new offshore power generation infrastructure.

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