image: From left to right: Professor Chong Yap Seng, Dean of NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Adjunct Assistant Professor Huang Zhongwei, Deputy Director at the NUS Bia-Echo Asia Centre for Reproductive Longevity and Equality (ACRLE), Mr Thomas Sobotka, Deputy Director, Vienna Institute of Demography, Professor Jean Yeung Wei-Jun, Department of Paediatrics, NUS Medicine.
Credit: NUS Medicine
As Singapore grapples with one of the world's lowest fertility rates, new research presented at the Population Association of Singapore (PAS) 2026 Annual Conference jointly organised by the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine) and PAS is shedding light on what modern families need to thrive and what policymakers, employers, and society can do to better support them.
From the pressures facing working parents navigating childcare decisions, to the role of fathers in the home, to how children are engaging with artificial intelligence (AI), a suite of new studies using nationally representative data from Singapore points to a consistent conclusion: that supporting families holistically — through better workplace policies, shifting gender norms, and stronger community resources — is essential to improving both child development outcomes and Singapore's fertility outlook.
Drawing on nationally representative data from the Singapore Longitudinal Early Development Study (SG-LEADS) from more than 2,500 children in Singapore, Professor Jean Yeung Wei-Jun from the Department of Paediatrics at NUS Medicine, President of the PAS, Director of Social Sciences at the A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (A*STAR IHDP) and Dr Kristy Lee, Research Scientist at A*STAR IHDP found that children who received non-parental care within their first 18 months demonstrated higher levels of achievement during their preschool year. The findings point to a need for stronger support for working parents to reduce parenting stress as the study also found that children who experienced non-parental care during infancy could also face a greater risk of behavioural challenges due to greater parenting stress. Late entry into infant care and extended hours in care were identified as additional risk factors for behavioural issues. Stronger support for working parents includes flexible work arrangements, accessible childcare, stronger community support networks and early childhood interventions.
The infant care study is among several Singapore-based research papers presented at the PAS 2026 Annual Conference held on 21–22 May 2026 examining fertility, reproductive health, child development, family policy and ageing from multidisciplinary perspectives. Ms Indranee Rajah, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Finance and National Development, graced the event as Guest-of-Honour.
Key insights from this conference will shape a joint white paper on fertility and human development by NUS Medicine and PAS. The paper, which will provide actionable policy and implementation recommendations, will be shared with Ms Rajah and the newly formed Marriage and Parenthood Reset Workgroup.
Prof Yeung’s team will also be presenting two other studies using nationally representative data from SG-LEADS, a large-scale longitudinal study tracking child development in Singapore:
- Children's AI usage patterns challenge assumptions about the digital divide
(Lead Researchers: Prof Jean Yeung Wei-Jun and Senior Research Scientist Dr Xuejiao Chen, A*STAR IHDP)
Research has found that 57.4% of children aged 8–9 and 82.6% of those aged 10–13 had used AI tools. Among older children, those whose parents have lower levels of formal education were more likely to use AI for leisure or general purposes rather than academic ones. Crucially, findings suggest that children from families with higher socioeconomic status were not necessarily more likely to adopt AI tools or use them for academic purposes, challenging common assumptions about who benefits from and who is left behind by the digital divide.
- Paternity leave alone is not enough; shifting gender norms is equally critical
(Lead Researchers: Prof Jean Yeung Wei-Jun and Research Assistant Professor Nanxun Li, Hong Kong University)
Despite paternity leave policies aimed at promoting fathers' involvement and gender-equal childcare, this study finds that paternity leave taken by fathers in Singapore does not appear to increase the likelihood of having a second or third child, a finding that contrasts with some evidence from Nordic countries. The study suggests that Singapore's relatively short paternity leave duration compared to Nordic countries, combined with persistent patriarchal norms and strongly gendered parenting practices, may explain why policy changes in Singapore have yet to translate into meaningful shifts in fathers' caregiving roles or fertility decisions. More substantive change — including longer leave, flexible work arrangements, and a broader cultural shift towards shared parenting — will be needed.
Prof Yeung said, "As societies have fewer children, human development across the entire life course becomes more important than ever. The long-term strength of societies will depend not only on population size, but also on the wellbeing, capabilities and connectedness of people across generations. Societies that support good health, economic security, affordable caregiving, gender equity, work-life balance, healthy longevity, social inclusion and opportunities, across the life course are more likely to create environments where individuals feel hopeful about the future and confident in forming families."
"Reproductive health and biology matter more than we think. Earlier fertility awareness, earlier assessment, and timely preconception care can help individuals make more informed decisions and seek support sooner," said Adjunct Assistant Professor Huang Zhongwei, Deputy Director at the NUS Bia-Echo Asia Centre for Reproductive Longevity and Equality (ACRLE), NUS Medicine, and Consultant in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the National University Hospital. Adj Asst Prof Huang delivered a keynote on tackling biological drivers of low fertility in Asia and underscored the need for better translation of fertility biology into policy and care pathways.
Professor Chong Yap Seng, Dean of NUS Medicine and Chief Clinical Officer at A*STAR IHDP, added that family formation should also be understood in terms of long-term health. “Family formation is not just a demographic goal; it can also be a pathway to healthy longevity. Can we reframe marriage and parenthood not merely as demographic imperatives, but as drivers of healthy longevity? The evidence base suggests stable partnership and co-residence correlate with longer life. The marriage-longevity association is robust across over 140 years of research across multiple countries although the protective effect is modulated by gender and relationship quality. This is the same for parenthood.”