PM Wong's "No country has cha answers" fertility comment leaves netizens frustrated

On June 8, PM Lawrence Wong was asked during the Singapore Press Club's Eminent Speaker Series whether Singapore was working on a new population planning figure. He said the current aim is to "maintain stability and avoid population decline". However, netizens were unhappy with his response, especially after he said that no country has found a clear solution to falling fertility rates.

Some netizens felt that PM Wong's response sounded like an easy way out and gave the impression that the government had stopped searching for a proper solution to Singapore's declining fertility rate.

Other netizens pointed to countries such as South Korea as examples Singapore could study, after its government managed to raise the country's fertility rate last year from a record low.

In his response, PM Wong said that while different countries have introduced policies to encourage people to have children, none have found a long-term solution so far.

He said the government will continue tackling the issue and even if these efforts do not result in more babies right away, they are still important because families remain a central part of Singapore society.

PM Wong also added that the issue should not be tackled through direct childbirth incentives alone. Instead, he said the broader goal is to build a more family-friendly Singapore by easing the practical challenges faced by young parents.

South Korea's total fertility rate has risen from 0.72 in 2023 to 0.8 in 2025. This came after the Korean government spent more than US$250 billion on efforts to encourage people to have children, including childcare subsidies, cash grants and housing support.

The government's greater acceptance of parental leave have also made it easier for couples to manage both work and family responsibilities. In South Korea, eligible couples can take up to three years of childcare leave.