Singapore’s fertility rate, which stood at 0.87 in 2025, has been recently described by Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong as an “existential challenge”. If Singapore hopes to reverse this trend, something clearly needs to change.
Many factors influence whether couples decide to have children, ranging from career pressures and childcare costs to lifestyle choices. Yet one of the most fundamental foundations of family life remains housing.
At first glance, Singapore appears to have largely solved the housing problem. With a homeownership rate of around 90%, it’s safe to say that most Singaporean families already have a roof over their heads.
However, unlike the pioneer generation period, when the issue was whether families could own a home, today, the more pertinent question is whether homes built today will be large enough for families who want to have more children.
What Counts As A “Large Family” In Singapore Today
Under the Large Families Scheme introduced in 2025, the government defines a large family as one with three or more children. In practical terms, this means a household of at least five people. In reality, the number can often be higher.
Families with three or more children would be more likely to rely on additional support at home. Grandparents may move in to help with childcare, or families may employ a live-in domestic helper. In such cases, a household can easily grow to six or even seven people living under the same roof.
Just as many newly married couples would prefer to have their own home before starting a family, it is also reasonable to assume that couples who already have children would prefer larger homes before deciding to expand their families further.
Singapore Has Been Building More Smaller Flats
Over the past decade, however, Singapore’s public housing supply has increasingly shifted towards smaller units. New Build-To-Order (BTO) launches have placed greater emphasis on 2-room and 3-room flats, with fewer larger units relative to past decades.
The rationale behind this approach is straightforward. As household sizes shrink and more individuals aspire to live independently, building smaller flats allows the government to accommodate more (smaller) families using the same amount of land.
On paper, the data appear to support this approach. Singapore’s average household size fell from 3.7 persons in 2000 to about 3.06 persons in 2025. If families are getting smaller, it would indeed seem logical that homes can also become smaller.
However, in my opinion, this statistic does not necessarily tell the full story.
Smaller Households Are Increasing, But Large Families Still Exist
A falling average household size can occur for several reasons. One possibility is that large households are disappearing. Another possibility is that smaller households are becoming far more common, pulling down the overall average.
Singapore’s household statistics suggest the latter explanation may be more accurate.
In the year 2000, Singapore had about 75,400 one-person households and 157,200 two-person households. Fast forward twenty-five years to 2025, and Singapore now has around 247,900 one-person households and 354,200 two-person households. In other words, the number of very small households has increased dramatically over the past two decades.
| 2000 | 2025 | |
| 1-person household members | 75,400 | 247,900 |
| 2-person household members | 157,200 | 354,200 |
However, when we look at larger households, the picture is more stable. In the year 2000, there were 163,700 households with 5 persons. In 2025, the number is 161,600, very close to what it was in 2000.
For households with 6 or more family members, the numbers were 110,200 in 2000 and 91,000 in 2025.
| 2000 | 2025 | |
| 5-person household members | 163,700 | 161,000 |
| 6-person or more household members | 110,200 | 91,000 |
It is difficult to say whether this trend is caused by the government building smaller flats. As more 2-room and 3-room flats are being built, it has become more feasible for people to live alone or form two-person households.
Likewise, as fewer larger units are being built, it is perhaps unsurprising that the number of bigger families has also declined. But again, we do not know whether this is a direct result of changes in housing supply or something that would have happened anyway due to broader demographic and social shifts.
BTO Supply Has Gradually Shifted Towards Smaller Flats
Historically, larger flats played a more prominent role in Singapore’s public housing landscape. In earlier decades, HDB built a range of larger flat types such as Executive Apartments, Executive Maisonettes, and even Jumbo flats, most of which exceeded 1,500 square feet.
However, executive flats were discontinued in the early 2000s, and the focus of new flat supply gradually shifted towards smaller units
Today, the majority of new BTO flats are concentrated in 3-room and 4-room units, which are typically suitable for smaller families or households with one or two children. While 5-room flats are still available, their share in BTO launches is generally smaller, and their sizes have become more compact compared to older flats built in previous decades.
Even The Largest BTO Flats May Be Tight For Larger Families
A common benchmark is that around 250 square feet per person provides a reasonably comfortable amount of living space. While families can certainly live with less, this guideline provides a useful way to evaluate whether homes are appropriately sized for larger households.
If we apply this guideline to a household of six people, the household would ideally have about 1,500 square feet of living space.
Yet even a 5-room BTO flat today typically measures around 1,100 to 1,200 square feet. When divided among six household members, this works out to roughly 180 to 200 square feet per person.
This does not mean such families cannot live in these flats. Many do. However, the living arrangement can become increasingly tight as children grow older and require more space.
As a result, families who require larger homes often find themselves with limited choices.
One option is to purchase older resale flats, such as Executive Apartments, Executive Maisonettes or Jumbo flats built in the 1980s and 1990s. These homes were originally designed for larger households, and remain among the most spacious public housing options available today.
The other option is to move into private housing, such as larger condominiums or landed properties. However, these homes are significantly more expensive and are beyond the reach of many middle and even upper-middle-income families.
If Singapore Wants Larger Families, Housing Policy May Need To Adapt
Housing alone will not determine whether couples decide to have more children. Fertility decisions are influenced by many factors, including career considerations and lifestyle preferences.
However, the physical space available at home can still play an important role in shaping decisions about family expansion. Raising three or more children in a compact flat may appear manageable during the early years, but it becomes increasingly more challenging as children grow older. The need for additional space becomes more apparent.
If Singapore wants to encourage large families, ensuring these families have access to affordable homes large enough to accommodate them will be an important part of the solution.
Possible Policy Approaches To Address The Housing Gap
One approach could be to reintroduce larger public housing units, similar to the executive flats that were built in earlier decades. These homes do not need to be excessively large or luxurious, but they could have floor areas of around 1,500 square feet, which would be more suitable for households with six or more members.
Another possibility is to introduce a new category, “Large Families Flats,” within the BTO system. These flats could be designed specifically for households with three or more children, offering larger floor areas while remaining affordable. Eligibility would naturally be tied to family size, ensuring that these homes, including those sold on the resale market, are allocated only to larger households that genuinely require the additional space. This is similar to how 3Gen flats can only be bought from HDB or on the resale market by eligible families.
Such measures would not necessarily require a dramatic expansion of housing supply. Instead, they would only need an adjustment in the mix of flats being built, ensuring that Singapore’s public housing system continues to serve families across a wider range of household sizes.
When Larger Homes Become A Private Housing Luxury
Interestingly, market behaviour in the private housing sector may also suggest that demand for larger homes has not disappeared.
Across several new condominium launches in recent years, property analysts have frequently noted that family-sized units, such as three-bedroom or larger apartments, tend to see strong take-up, as they appeal to owner-occupiers rather than investors. Many such families are also upgrading from public housing.
For example, the recent EC launch at Coastal Cabana saw all its 5-bedroom units sold, while 80% of four-bedroom units were taken up, indicating a clear preference for larger living spaces among buyers
One possible explanation is that the demand for larger homes among families has not diminished; rather, it is not fully met in the public housing market. Families who want more space but cannot find sufficiently large flats within the HDB system may end up turning to private housing instead, even though it requires a much larger financial commitment.
This raises an important question for housing policy. If the demand for larger homes persists, but affordable options in the public housing system are limited, families who want more space may increasingly face a choice between paying significantly more for private housing or compromising on living space in public housing.
Read Also: Why HDB Needs To Start Building Bigger Flats For “Large Families”
Photo Credit: DollarsAndSense/Moo Kar Ming
