Singapore’s Ministry of Social and Family Development launched the FirstDate app for civil servants aged 21 to 35 this month, a pilot aimed at countering the nation’s record‑low fertility rate.
The app employs the Gale‑Shapley Stable Marriage algorithm, matching users on shared interests and values through a questionnaire. Users receive a match and have three days to accept the date; the platform also supplies ice‑breaker suggestions called "date quests."
The initiative follows a 60‑year trend of declining births; in 2025 fewer than 30,000 babies were born, and the total fertility rate dipped to 0.87, far below the replacement level of 2.1. Deaths rose to 26,500 the same year, tightening Singapore’s demographic squeeze.
Singapore’s government has a history of matchmaking experiments. In 1984 the Social Development Unit organized singles events for university graduates, an early attempt to pair potential partners among the country’s youth.
29‑year‑old defence ministry employee Elizabeth said the app feels like any other dating platform but offers a lower risk of scams. "We’re all public servants looking for a partner, right?" she told the BBC.
The Ministry announced that the pilot would run through the first half of 2026 before a full assessment of its influence on birth rates.