SINGAPORE LAUNCHES GOVERNMENT MATCHMAKING SERVICE AS BIRTH RATE FALLS

Singapore has launched a government-backed matchmaking service for public-sector workers as the city-state faces a record-low fertility rate and a growing ageing population.

Called FirstDate, the pilot is available to government employees aged 21 to 35. The service uses the Gale-Shapley algorithm, developed to create stable matches based on the preferences of two groups, to connect participants with one potential partner at a time.

Users sign in with Singapore’s national digital identity system and complete a questionnaire about their interests, habits and values before receiving a match. The service says it aims to provide an alternative to conventional dating apps and reduce what it describes as “swipe fatigue.”

The algorithm was developed by mathematicians Lloyd Shapley and David Gale and has been used in areas such as school admissions and medical residency placements. Shapley received the 2012 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his work.

The initiative has received mixed reactions. Some social media users criticised the government-backed dating service, while others said they were interested in trying it.

A 29-year-old Ministry of Defence employee, Elizabeth, told the BBC that she was willing to participate, saying the government-backed platform could provide additional reassurance and reduce concerns about scams.

However, critics have questioned why FirstDate is limited to public-sector workers and restricted to people aged 21 to 35.

The pilot comes as Singapore faces growing demographic concerns. Fewer than 30,000 babies were born in 2025, marking the first time the annual figure had fallen below that level in six decades. Deaths also rose to about 26,500 during the year.

In August, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced additional measures to support families and encourage couples to have children, including financial support of nearly S$70,000 for each child by the age of 17.

Singapore has previously introduced government-backed programmes to encourage relationships and marriage. In 1984, the Social Development Unit was established to organise activities for single university graduates, but it later faced criticism over its focus on graduates.

Other initiatives were subsequently introduced to encourage marriage among non-graduates before the programmes were eventually phased out.

Singapore is also not the first government to use technology-assisted matchmaking in response to demographic challenges. Tokyo’s metropolitan government launched an AI-powered dating app for single residents in September 2024.

It remains unclear whether Singapore’s FirstDate pilot will eventually be expanded to the wider public.