Singapore birth rate plummeted even further by 11.4% year on year in 2025

SINGAPORE: Singapore recorded a sharp decline in births last year while the number of deaths remained largely unchanged, resulting in a significant narrowing of the country’s natural population growth, according to the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority’s (ICA) latest Births and Deaths Report.

Figures released by the ICA’s Registry of Births and Deaths on Monday (July 27) showed that 29,864 babies were born in 2025, down 11.4% from the 33,703 births registered the previous year.

During the same period, 26,499 deaths were recorded, an increase of just 57 cases from the year before, representing a marginal rise of 0.2%.

The combination of a steep fall in births and a largely stable death rate meant Singapore’s natural population growth narrowed considerably. There were 3,365 more births than deaths in 2025, compared with 7,261 the previous year.

The report also highlighted differences across ethnic groups. Among the Chinese community, deaths exceeded births by 3,071, resulting in natural negative growth. The Malay, Indian and other ethnic communities continued to register natural population growth, with births outnumbering deaths by 3,006, 1,199 and 2,231 respectively.

Singapore’s crude birth rate, measured by the number of live births per 1,000 local residents, fell from 7.4 in 2024 to 6.5 in 2025.

Meanwhile, the crude death rate remained unchanged at 6.0 per 1,000 residents despite the slight increase in the total number of deaths.

The country’s gross natural growth rate also continued its long-term decline, dropping from 1.3 in 2024 to 0.5 in 2025. The figure is substantially lower than the 5.9 recorded in 2006.

The report also pointed to a continuing trend of women having their first child later in life. The median age of first-time mothers rose to 32.1 years in 2025, up from 31.9 years in 2024. The figure has increased steadily over recent years, from 31.3 years in 2021 to 31.4 in 2022 and 31.6 in 2023.

According to the ICA, the data reflects an ongoing pattern of first-time mothers delaying childbirth. Nearly half of all births last year, or 47.5%, were to first-time mothers.

On mortality, cancer remained the leading cause of death in Singapore in 2025. It accounted for 7,046 deaths. Heart disease and hypertension were the second most common causes, claiming 6,753 lives, while lung and respiratory diseases were responsible for 6,549 deaths.

Together, cancer, heart disease and hypertension accounted for 52.1% of all registered deaths during the year.

The report also highlighted Singapore’s ageing population. Of the 26,499 people who died in 2025, 23,158, or 87.4%, were aged 60 and above. The median age at death increased to 78.2 years, continuing an upward trend from 76.1 years recorded in 2016.

Women continued to outlive men. The median age of deceased women was 82.5 years, compared with 75.7 years for men, a difference of 6.8 years.

Across ethnic groups, the Chinese had the highest median age at death at 80.1 years. This was followed by Malays at 72.5 years, Indians at 72.3 years and other ethnic groups at 68.8 years.