Singapore will grant more foreign born children citizenship, hoping to boost a rapidly ageing population. Babies born abroad to Singaporean women married to foreigners will have the right to...

Singapore will grant more foreign born children citizenship, hoping to boost a rapidly ageing population. Babies born abroad to Singaporean women married to foreigners will have the right to citizenship. Singapore’s birth rate is below the 2.1 children per woman needed to replenish its stock. Baby making has become a priority in Singapore, where women gave birth to 1.26 babies, on an average, in 2003 the lowest in the nation’s history. The proportion of childless couples has tripled since 1980 to 6%. This is the most dramatic step since the baby shortage debate in 2004. A committee was formed to consider maternity leave, tax benefits for families and subsidising infant care. Future generations of Singaporeans living abroad can pass on citizenship as long as mothers or fathers spend five years in the country before having a baby. The number of people over 65 is forecast to grow fourfold to 800 000 by 2030 with no growth in the working age population to support them. If the trend continues, by 2030, 8% of Singapore’s population will be 15–24, putting strain on young Singaporeans to support the economy and its ageing workforce.