Singapore has launched a matchmaking service for government workers as the city-state grapples with a record-low fertility rate and an ageing population.
The pilot programme, known as FirstDate, targets single public servants aged between 21 and 35 and promises what it describes as a “different approach to dating”.
Unlike conventional dating apps that allow users to swipe through numerous profiles, FirstDate matches participants with one potential partner at a time using the Gale-Shapley Stable Marriage algorithm, a mathematical model developed by economists Lloyd Shapley and David Gale.
Participants log in using Singapore’s national digital identity system and complete a questionnaire covering their interests, habits and personal values before being matched.
The programme has generated mixed reactions, with some Singaporeans welcoming the initiative while others have criticised it as intrusive and questioned its focus on government employees.
Elizabeth, a 29-year-old employee at Singapore’s defence ministry, admitted that she was interested in trying the service, saying participants may face a lower risk of scams because they are all public servants.
However, some social media users have questioned the programme’s eligibility criteria, particularly its restriction to government workers and people aged 21 to 35.
Critics have also suggested that the initiative is primarily aimed at increasing Singapore’s fertility rate rather than helping people find long-term partners.
FirstDate comes as Singapore records some of its lowest birth figures in decades. Fewer than 30,000 babies were born in 2025 for the first time in more than 60 years, while deaths rose to about 26,500 during the same year.
In August, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced additional measures to support families and encourage couples to have children, including financial support worth almost S$70,000 for each child by the age of 17.
Singapore has previously used government-backed programmes to encourage relationships and marriage.
In 1984, it established the Social Development Unit to organise social activities for university-educated singles.
The programme was later phased out following criticism of its elitist approach.
The government subsequently established another agency aimed at promoting marriage among non-graduates.
Singapore is also not the only government experimenting with technology to address declining birth rates.
In September 2024, Tokyo’s metropolitan government launched an AI-powered dating app for single residents.
Japanese government data released in July indicated that the initiative had contributed to 265 marriages.
It remains unclear whether Singapore’s FirstDate pilot will eventually be expanded to the wider public.
