On 7 July 2025, the Ministry of Social and Family Development published the Family Trends Report 2025 which found that the take-up rate for government-paid paternity leave rose from 53% in 2022, to 56% in 2023. Paternity leave was enhanced in April 2025, with fathers now entitled to four weeks of paternity leave, up from two. SMU Dean of Students and Professor of Sociology (Practice) Paulin Straughan said that it would be ideal if more fathers embrace co-parenting responsibilities so that mothers do not feel overburdened. She added that the four weeks would allow the fathers to take over while their wives recover from childbirth and get into a good rhythm of caring for a newborn, and it allows sufficient time for fathers to bond with their newborns.
In a separate interview, Prof Straughan highlighted how Singapore has the strongest and most comprehensive support schemes in place for marriage and procreation however, she believes that smaller families would be the norm. The challenge, she said, would be to make the necessary transformation to learn how to receive a super-ageing society. She also noted that in terms of government support, there has been tremendous improvement. Nonetheless, she pointed out the importance of looking out for the needs of Singapore as a whole society.
