The Ministry of Social and Family Development says the number of elderly Singaporeans living alone in households increased from 35,160 in 2013 to 78,135 in 2023.

The ministry said this is according to the Family Trends Report.

The number of residents aged 65 and above living in households increased from 413,117 in 2013 to 708,656 in 2023. More than 80 per cent of the elderly live with families.

People aged 65 and above accounted for 19.1 per cent of the total citizens in Singapore as of June.

Meanwhile, the resident total fertility rate decreased to 0.97 in 2023 from 1.19 in 2013, hitting a historic low, the report noted.

Among ever-married females aged in their forties, those with no children increased from 10.0 per cent in 2013 to 13.9 per cent in 2023.

Singaporean couples also delayed their schedule to be parents.

The median age of first-time fathers and mothers was 33.3 years and 31.6 years in 2023, higher than 32.7 years and 30.3 years in 2013.

According to the report, the government has issued measures to help child-raising families, such as offering government-paid paternity leave to fathers, building more full-day infant care places, and providing subsidies for preschool education.

(Xinhua/NAN)