Age Well SG
 |
|
The aging and declining population will have far-reaching impacts. Declining fertility rates will possibly increase immigration. The structure of family and society will inevitably change. - Toshihiko Fukui PHOTO CAPTIONS: Group of Singaporean elderlies playing Chinese chess [PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.pensionpolicyinternational.com/singapores-population-is-aging-fast-it-hopes-ai-can-help-manage-its-elderly-care/] |
The aging and declining population will have far-reaching impacts. Declining fertility rates will possibly increase immigration. The structure of family and society will inevitably change. - Toshihiko Fukui
Those are the words of Toshihiko Furui, a Japanese Economist. In 2023 and 2024, the then Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong warned of an aging population and a low fertility rate in the country. I will post several videos of what he said and also before I give my thoughts and endorse Age Well SG.
Singapore
has become a superaged country as of 2025 Besides nurturing our
young, we will also take good care of our seniors. Our society is ageing
rapidly. And I will show you a chart that illustrates this. In 2015, when we
celebrated SG50, about 13% of Singaporeans were aged 65 and above. Today, as we
mark SG60, it is just over 20%, over a period of ten years. According to the
United Nations, a country with 21% or more of its population aged 65 and above
is considered “super-aged”. We will likely cross that mark by next year. In 10
years’ time, when we have SG70, we expect the figure to rise to over 25%. The good news is that
Singaporeans are living longer. We can see this all around us – in our
families, our neighbourhoods, and our communities. During walkabouts, MPs meet
many more seniors – even centenarians. Here is Hazlina with her Fengshan
resident Mdm Wong. She does not look like it, but Mdm Wong is 100 years old!
Our ground experience is borne out in the statistics. Two decades ago, there
were 400 people in Singapore aged 100 and above. Today it is close to 1,500 and
continuing to rise! What I have just
described is our life expectancy or our life-span. Some lived to 90s, 100 or
more, but on average, it is now almost 84 years. But we also look at another
measure that adjusts the life-span to focus only on the years when we are in
good health. We call this the health-span. Our average health-span is 75 years.
That means we spend – on average – about 10 years living with illness or
disability. And we must try to bring this figure down, and certainly not allow
it to get bigger. Because imagine if you
retire at 65. You may have another 20 or more years ahead of you. How will you
feel if much of that time is spent in and out of hospital, or on a wheelchair?
It will be tough – not just for the individual, but for the family too. So the
key is to have both longer and healthier lives – ideally our health-span should
be closer to our life-span. Technology can help with
this. With better early detection of disease. And better and more effective
treatments and cures – including for once-life threatening ailments like cancer
and heart disease. [SOURCE: https://www.pmo.gov.sg/Newsroom/National-Day-Rally-2025] VIDEO SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=179ifkW4Se8&t=2609s
– See 41:00 of video]
Excerpts from the Speeches of the Ex-PM Lee in 2023 and 2024:
 |
Singapore will become a superaged society – PM Lee Speech on NDR 2023 [PHOTO SOURCE: https://images.app.goo.gl/uCrRo1adPjPTNxKP6 ..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3inD7l5FQA] Singapore is one of the fastest-ageing nations in the world. Today, about one in five Singaporeans is a senior, aged 65 and above. By 2030, nearly one in four Singaporeans will be a senior. I first talked about ageing in the National Day Rally back in 2007. At that time, we had 500 centenarians – people aged 100 and older. We thought that was a lot. By 2013, which is 6 years later, this had doubled to around 1,000. And by 2030, we are likely to double again to at least 2,000 centenarians! It shows vividly how our society is getting older and older, faster and faster. Today, if you ask – it is not in the chart – but we have about 1,500 already. In 2030, I will not be making this speech, but whoever is doing so will have to take care of all of us seniors, and some of us very senior. Today, we are an aged society; soon, we will be a ‘super-aged’ society. This has massive social and economic implications. We have much to do to help our seniors age well. https://www.pmo.gov.sg/Newsroom/National-Day-Rally-2023 FULL VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdWSpat3Uq0&t=166s SEE 12:30 TO 28:25 |
 |
|
Singapore will become a superaged society – PM Lee Speech on NDR 2023 [PHOTO SOURCE: https://images.app.goo.gl/9JZUTuWcWo45tnAH6 ..... https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia/video/7269394383059815682] Singapore is one of the fastest-ageing nations in the world. Today, about one in five Singaporeans is a senior, aged 65 and above. By 2030, nearly one in four Singaporeans will be a senior. I first talked about ageing in the National Day Rally back in 2007. At that time, we had 500 centenarians – people aged 100 and older. We thought that was a lot. By 2013, which is 6 years later, this had doubled to around 1,000. And by 2030, we are likely to double again to at least 2,000 centenarians! It shows vividly how our society is getting older and older, faster and faster. Today, if you ask – it is not in the chart – but we have about 1,500 already. In 2030, I will not be making this speech, but whoever is doing so will have to take care of all of us seniors, and some of us very senior. Today, we are an aged society; soon, we will be a ‘super-aged’ society. This has massive social and economic implications. We have much to do to help our seniors age well. https://www.pmo.gov.sg/Newsroom/National-Day-Rally-2023 FULL VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdWSpat3Uq0&t=166s SEE 12:30 TO 28:25 |
 |
|
“Many of those in their 70s and beyond are still physically and mentally robust… Many older Singaporeans want to keep active and continue working.” PM Lee Hsien Loong [PHOTO SOURCE: https://kuanyewism.com/2023/04/pm-lee-many-singaporeans-in-their-70s-want-to-keep-working/ …. https://images.app.goo.gl/jiodGNPZNkPdtjgC9] |
 |
|
“Add a little dragon to your family.” – PM Lee Hsien Loong Speech on 9 February 2024 [PHOTO SOURCE: https://images.app.goo.gl/UwB3PN5FQpKXsB4W7 ..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oku8sgE-eoI] I hope my encouragement prompts more couples to try for a baby, although I know that the decision is a very personal one. All over the world, especially in developed societies like Singapore, fertility rates have been declining. Each generation has different aspirations. Many young people prioritise developing their careers, spending quality time with their partners, and pursuing other interests. Even couples who want kids may put off starting families, not realising how quickly it gets harder with each passing year. All this is quite understandable. But I still hope that more Singaporean couples will decide to have more children, and to have them earlier! We will build a “Singapore Made For Families”, and continue supporting your marriage and parenthood aspirations. We have progressively strengthened support for infant caregiving and work-life harmony, to see parents through their children’s formative years. Recently we doubled Government-Paid Paternity Leave from two to four weeks on a voluntary basis. Measures like these will lighten the burden on parents, but they are merely enablers. Ultimately, couples will decide whether to have children for their own reasons. I hope more will decide to go ahead, and I am confident they will find parenthood a deeply rewarding and fulfilling journey. https://www.pmo.gov.sg/Newsroom/Chinese-New-Year-Message-2024-by-PM-Lee-Hsien-Loong |
MY THOUGHTS:
From September to October 2023, I visited Singapore after not being home to the country of my birth since 2019, to attend a wedding. I learnt a sad thing which Singapore has like Japan (World’s highest superaged country) and South Korea (world’s lowest fertility rate – 0.8 births per women) – both countries have a superaged (meaning 1 in 5 citizens are above the age of 65) and low fertility rate of less than 2.1 children per woman. Whenever I turn around when walking in public, I see an elderly person walking past me and as of 2024, our fertility rate is 0.97 births per woman (30,800 new births for a population of 6 million).
I was like a journalist visiting a city in the aftermath of a war. I walked past my old High school and noticed that the number of students filled up only less than 25% of the assembly ground, this was unlike the 1990s where the whole assembly ground will be about 90% occupied. I later learnt that 18 primary & secondary schools will be merging from 2022 due to falling enrolment, the reason is because of our low fertility rate. It was a far cry from my childhood days in the 1990s and 2000s.
18 primary &
secondary schools will be merging from 2022 due to falling enrolment. Here's a
breakdown of the pairings and where the newly merged schools will be located. [PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1754975871372157&id=292279440975148&set=a.305358833000542] https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/moe-school-merger-stamford-telok-kurau-pioneer-200791
Full story here: https://mustsharenews.com/schools-merge-2022/
I wrote this as a warning. It is not just an East Asia or Western issue. It is a global problem. As Elon Musk, a father of 14 children, has warned of the dangers of low birth rate. Here are two quotes from him:
“There are not enough people… One of the biggest risks to civilisation
is the low birth rate and rapidly declining birth rate.” [PHOTO SOURCE: https://dailydeclaration.org.au/2021/12/20/on-demographic-winter-elon-musk-gets-it/] https://ruthinstitute.org/press-releases/low-birth-rate-endangers-civilization/ “Population collapse due to low birth rates is a much bigger risk to
civilization than global warming.” – Elon Musk [PHOTO SOURCE: https://x.com/kerrikgray/status/1605721791434874880
.... https://x.com/kerrikgray/status/1605721791434874880/photo/1]
Age Well SG:
I will now endorse Age Well SG, a national Programme in Singapore, aimed at supporting seniors to age actively and independently within their communities. I am grateful to the Singaporean Government for helping our aging population.
Age Well SG is a national programme led by the Ministry of Health, Ministry of National Development and Ministry of Transport to support seniors to age well in their homes and their communities. It aims to support our seniors to age actively, stay socially connected, and be cared for within their communities.
“Together, we will make Singapore an endearing home for all ages, where seniors can age with dignity and grace, connected with friends and family, and enjoying greater peace of mind.” - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, National Day Rally, 20th August 2023
The United Nations defines a country as ‘ageing’ if the share of its population aged 65 and above crosses 7%. It is considered ‘aged’ if the share exceeds 14%. Once the share reaches 21%, it is ‘super aged’.
· Singapore took only 19 years to go from 'ageing' to 'aged’, and reached this milestone in 2017.
· We are projected to attain ‘super aged’ status in 2026.
· By 2030, 1 in 4 citizens will be aged 65 and above.
Key Features of Age Well SG
Age Well SG offers a comprehensive nationwide transformation across the areas of transport, housing, active ageing and care services to anchor ageing in the community. The programme aims to:
a) Improve the physical living environment.
b) Encourage active ageing.
c) Strengthen support for seniors with care needs in the community.
To support these changes, the Government will dedicate at least $3.5b over the next decade to support the implementation of Age Well SG.
VIDEOS ON THE AGING POPULATION IN SINGAPORE:
Inside Singapore's Eldercare Shortage: Who Will Care For Our Old? | Talking Point | Full Episode
In less than a decade, one in four Singaporeans will be considered elderly – aged 65 and above. 24,000 more people will be needed to care for our rapidly ageing population. But where are we going to find them? In this episode, host Diana Ser steps into the shoes of our busiest elder care workers to uncover the issues they face. With the help of experts, Diana also explores what can be done to save manpower, improve eldercare, and attract more people to work in a sector often characterized by burnout and a dearth of local professionals.
VIDEO SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAOmZWxJfkE&t=829s
Are We All Bound To Live In Nursing Homes One Day? | TBH Ep 4
Nov 23, 2023 #OGS
Would you ever send your loved ones to a nursing home when the time comes? Our host Kim ponders this question as she reports for work at a nursing home for a day. Speaking to elderly residents and caregivers, she seeks out the answer to Singapore’s ageing population.
══ Content ══
0:00 How are nursing homes, really?
0:23 Intro
1:03 Chatting with someone whose grandma lives in a nursing home
2:09 Starting my day at the nursing home
3:45 Loneliness in the nursing home
7:09 Why I chose to send my grandma to a day care
9:45 Meeting a resident who enjoys her stay at the nursing home
15:43 Why I chose to care for my sick mum at home
18:31 Would I choose to send my loved ones to a nursing home?
This is TBH, a series where we investigate, experiment and find the answers to some of Singapore’s biggest millennial problems.
VIDEO SOURCE: https://youtu.be/PM5EnQolJUE?si=7R38_mnIU7Uzci3_
Community care in focus as half of 24 regions in Singapore to be super-aged soon
May 3, 2024
Seven out of 24 regions in Singapore have reached super-aged status, including areas like Ang Mo Kio and Serangoon. Another five will soon follow suit, in having more than one in five seniors being aged 65 and above. This is why authorities are ramping up efforts to engage these seniors to receive the help they need from where they live. Sabrina Ng with more.
VIDEO SOURCE: https://youtu.be/njabeudOqkQ?si=hllCTvyRbfcXNXnC
Japan's population crisis reaches tipping point | FT Film
May 23, 2025 #birthrate #demographics #elderly
Japan has been struggling to cope with a combination of anaemic economic growth and a shrinking population for over 30 years. 2025 marks the tipping point when the rising costs outstrip the country's capacity to pay for them. The FT's Tokyo bureau chief Leo Lewis looks at how the country has managed its slow burning demographic crisis and what the rest of the world can learn from its experience #japan #japandemographics #japaneseeconomy #tokyo #japanpopulation #asia #elderly #immigration #birthrate #demographics #japaneconomy #fertilityrate
00:00 - Introduction
01:06 - Japan's population alarm
01:54 - Understanding the 2025 problem
02:38 - Comparing international fertility rates
03:37 - Fuwaku, the rugby club for the over 70s
05:36 - Seijin-no Hi, Japan's coming of age festival
06:17 - The link between birth rates and marriage
07:25 - Okunitama shrine and the cost of getting married
08:24 - The link between fertility and wages
10:14 - The Tokyo government's dating app
11:03 - Kiricafe and the growing number of immigrants in Japan
14:01 - Rising government spending on the elderly
15:07 - Unicharm: from baby nappies to adult diapers
16:01 - Ito En: making tea for the elderly
16:41 - House Boat Club: changing funeral traditions
17:53 - China's similar demographic path to Japan
19:10 - Is Japan's experience what success looks like?
VIDEO SOURCE: https://youtu.be/nmdujC0MUKA?si=08p73mdVtOQ6iIre
More elderly Singaporeans are living alone – should we be concerned? | Deep Dive podcast
Jul 22, 2025 Deep Dive Podcast
The number of elderly Singaporeans living alone has doubled in the past decade. With Singapore on the cusp of becoming a “super-aged” society, the numbers will only climb further. While support systems exist, are they enough when an elderly person needs urgent medical help or even just someone to talk to? Steven Chia speaks with Karen Wee, executive director of Lions Befrienders, and Dr Reuben Ng from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
00:00 Intro
01:04 Why more elderly are living alone
02:05 Alarming rise in disability and isolation
03:11 Is living alone always a bad thing?
04:25 The real cost of social isolation
06:07 Society’s ageist views
07:22 Over-caring vs preserving autonomy
08:44 Supporting independence while ageing
11:22 Encourage silver entrepreneurship for seniors
14:40 Reframing ageing as a blessing
20:20 Preparing psychologically for retirement
VIDEO SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49vZFboT8bo&t=34s
 |
|
Elon Musk’s 14 children with 4 women [PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1253318739919826&set=a.241477984437245] |
Videos on the low fertility rate in Singapore:
Why aren't incentives working for Singapore's falling fertility rate? | Deep Dive podcast
May 11, 2024 Deep Dive Podcast
Singapore’s total fertility rate has fallen to a historic low of 0.97. Citizens aren’t having enough children to sustain population numbers and all the money spent to encourage procreation doesn’t seem to work. Steven Chia and Crispina Robert talk about what’s causing the decline with Dr Norman Li, psychology professor at the Singapore Management University, and mother of one, Holly Fang.
0:00 Intro
1:57 Factors contributing to a low birth rate
5:13 What's the impact of stress?
8:20 The opportunity cost for women
11:18 Are government policies effective?
14:45 Workplace measures to support families
17:32 Other solutions to raise TFR
Part 2 available here: https://cna.asia/4bquvay
VIDEO SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz5yTsfgAhw&t=1099s
How Young Singaporeans Feel About the Birth Rate Crisis in Singapore? | Street Interview
Nov 7, 2024
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this video do not represent that of Asian Boss or the general Singaporean public.
00:00 What do you think about Singapore's current birth rate?
04:21 What do you think are some of the contributing factors to this phenomenon? 12:21 Do you plan to get married and have children?
14:22 How much do you need to make per month to raise a child in Singapore?
20:38 Do you think immigration can help solve the population crisis in Singapore?
VIDEO SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14b8gZRTiY8&t=329s
RELATED LINKS:
Singapore made for Families founded in 20 June 2020
https://www.madeforfamilies.gov.sg/
Beyond 2050 the world population may start to decrease if women across the world will have, on average, less than 2 children. But that decrease will be slow. - Hans Rosling
Other possible negative impacts of a declining population are:
· A rise in the dependency ratio which would increase the economic pressure on the workforce
· A loss of culture and the diminishment of trust among citizens
· A crisis in end-of-life care for the elderly because there are insufficient caregivers for them
· Difficulties in funding entitlement programs because there are fewer workers relative to retirees
· A decline in military strength
· A decline in innovation since change comes from the young
· A strain on mental health caused by permanent recession
· Deflation caused by the aging population
https://blackforestproject421.blogspot.com/2025/09/birthgap-childless-world-documentary.html
Every industry is going to be affected (by the aging population). This creates tremendous opportunities and tremendous challenges. - Pat Conroy
https://www.azquotes.com/quote/706834
Japan actually is an aging population, and so as the population has aged, they have had a lot more problems with health. - Shigeru Miyamoto
Comments
Post a Comment