PSP calls for new Population White Paper to 2050 amid record-low birth rate and rising inequality

 SINGAPORE: The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) has called for structural reforms to address what it described as a “population crisis”, urging the Government to publish a new Population White Paper outlining Singapore’s strategy through 2050.

In the twelfth issue of its newsletter, The Palm, released on 2 March 2026, the party responded to Singapore’s record-low birth rate, planned increases in immigration, and newly released data on wealth inequality.

The call comes after Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong revealed during the Committee of Supply debates for the Prime Minister’s Office that Singapore’s resident total fertility rate (TFR) fell to 0.87 in 2025, the lowest on record.

Resident births totalled 27,500 that year.

PSP noted that this represents a drop of more than 40 per cent in one generation, compared with 46,916 resident births in 1995.

Immigration and population strategy

PSP said recent remarks by Deputy Prime Minister Gan and Acting Minister Jeffrey Siow at the 2026 IPS Singapore Perspectives conference did not signal a shift in population policy.

Instead, it argued that the Government has “doubled down” on immigration to offset declining birth rates.

Under current plans, about 25,000 to 30,000 new citizens will be granted citizenship each year over the next five years.

This represents an increase of between 17 and 40 per cent from the annual average of 21,300 new citizens between 2020 and 2024.

The number of new permanent residents is also set to rise to around 40,000 annually over the next five years, a 21 per cent increase from the 33,000 granted each year between 2020 and 2024.

PSP said: “As the Government increases the number of new citizens and PRs granted, we must ask: what will this mean for our social fabric and national identity?”

Citing the latest Population in Brief report, the party highlighted that citizens now account for about 60 per cent of the total population.

Around 9 per cent of citizens are first-generation new citizens whose citizenships were granted in the last 15 years.

The percentage of citizens has declined for four consecutive years.

Although Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has said that citizens will not become a minority, PSP argued that “it is difficult for Singaporeans not to be anxious that non-first-generation citizens will become the minority in Singapore”.

The party called for a “serious, transparent national conversation on population” and urged the publication of a new Population White Paper to set out medium- to long-term strategy through 2050.

Structural reforms and work-life balance

PSP said there was “no sign” that structural reforms would be pursued to address demographic challenges, even as leaders have insisted that “we cannot give up”.

Among measures previously proposed by the party are increasing annual leave days and public holidays to improve work-life balance, and providing a Government-paid allowance for full-time caregivers of citizen children below the age of seven.

A new work group chaired by Minister Indranee Rajah has been formed to address marriage and parenthood.

However, PSP expressed scepticism about its effectiveness.

The party stated that “the same ministers who have presided over the collapse of our birth rates” may not be able to resolve the challenges, adding that fundamental policy questions remain unanswered.

It asked: “What is the plan beyond 2030? How will we balance immigration, infrastructure capacity, social cohesion, and quality of life? How will population densities in different parts of Singapore be managed?”

PSP noted that the Government had previously provided transparency through the 2013 Population White Paper, and said a similar document should now be released to guide planning through 2050.

Wealth inequality and progressive taxation

The newsletter also addressed wealth inequality following parliamentary questions related to the Ministry of Finance’s Occasional Paper on income growth, inequality, and social mobility trends.

The paper showed that the top 5 per cent of households hold about one-third of Singapore’s wealth.

Acting Minister Jeffrey Siow urged caution in interpreting the data, noting that wealth statistics are difficult to measure.

PSP said that while wealth data is challenging to compile, under-reporting in surveys may be more pronounced among higher-wealth households, particularly those with overseas or complex assets.

“If under-reporting is disproportionately worse at the upper end, then wealth inequality may be more skewed than reported,” the party said.

It argued that as Singapore attracts more ultra-high-net-worth individuals, disparities may widen further.

According to the Occasional Paper, Singapore’s inequality before taxes and transfers is relatively low among OECD countries, but after taxes and transfers, the country ranks closer to the higher end. PSP said this indicates scope for more redistributive social policies.

Academic Ng Kok Hoe has also questioned comparisons made in the paper with countries such as Finland and the United Kingdom, suggesting methodological differences may understate Singapore’s tax burden while excluding certain European public services from benefit calculations.

PSP said that if the Government accepts the findings uncritically, it is unsurprising that Budget 2026 did not contain significant measures to address wealth inequality.

The party added that concerns remain over whether rising wealth disparities contribute to higher costs in housing, food, and transport, which may disproportionately burden lower-income Singaporeans.

PSP reiterated its call for more progressive tax policies and strengthened national social support schemes, stating that Singapore “can, and must” ensure that economic growth translates into “Progress for All”.