Good news: Josephine Teo, Singapore’s Minister of Health and Second Minister for Home Affairs, recently revealed that the number of citizen marriages in the country is on the rise.
From 19,600 registered citizen marriages in 2004, this number has gone up to at least 23,600 in 2018 (preliminary). As a result, the average number of citizen births has also slightly increased from 31,400 in 2009-13 to 33,000 in 2014-18(p).
Now here comes the bad news: In spite of the rising marriage rate, the total fertility rate in Singapore has plunged to an all-time low since records began in the 60s. This 2018, TFR is currently recorded at 1.14, a slight decrease from 1.16 in 2017. The figure is a far cry from the estimated population replacement rate of 2.1.
Millennial Singles on the Rise
The main reason for the drop in fertility rate, according to Teo, is that most young Singaporeans are opting to delay dating and marriage. Reasons vary, from prioritizing career to not meeting or not having opportunities to meet a suitable partner. High cost of living, long office hours and long HBD waiting times are also major considerations.
Gender-wise, in both men and women, the singleness trend is most visible among those in their childbearing years of 25 to 29. The proportion of single women now registers at 68.1% (60.9% in 2007), while the proportion of single men registers at 80.7% (77.5% in 2017). There has also been a slight increase in singleness among older men and women, though not as significant.
Age of Infertility
Taking account the number of singles in their prime childbearing years, it is not difficult to see why Singapore is suffering a low fertility rate.
For women, age is one of the most crucial factors that affects the ability to conceive and deliver a healthy baby. As a woman ages, the quality and quantity of her eggs decrease. Likewise, her fertility diminishes with age, from a 25 to 30% chance of getting pregnant every month (early to mid-20s) to only 5% (40s).
Contrary to what is commonly believed, sperm quality and quantity also decrease with age. However, for men, fertility rate decreases at age 40 to 45. Advanced age is also found to be linked to an increased risk of miscarriage and fetal death, as well as high risk of children with autism and mental health disorders.
Singapore is on the verge of a sperm crisis
This is unfortunate, considering that Singapore is on the verge of a sperm crisis. According to Singapore General Hospital (SGH), they have noticed that the number of male infertility cases has increased 5 times in the last few years, from only 10 in 2015 to 50 new cases last year. Similarly, the National University Hospital (NUH) and Virtus Fertility Centre Singapore have also noticed a significant rise in the number of patients seeking male infertility treatments. Just last 2017, NUH recorded 270 male infertility patients, while Virtus Fertility Centre registered nearly 400. The cause of infertility in most cases is low sperm count and/or quality.
For Singapore, the key to a higher fertility rate lies in measures taken to improve the outlook for marriage and parenthood.
Infertility War SG 
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