ANKARA 

The number of babies born in Singapore in 2023 has plummeted to its lowest level in 20 years, entrenching the country's "great baby drought."

A total of 33,541 babies were born in 2023, a 5.8% decline from 35,605 babies born in 2022, Singapore-based The Straits Times reported on Sunday, citing a report on Registration of Births and Deaths 2023 published by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority.

The 2023 tally is 13.3% lower than the 38,672 babies born in 2021.

In February, it was announced that the resident total fertility rate (TFR) fell below 1 for the first time in Singapore’s history, though the actual number of babies born in 2023 was not stated.

The TFR, which refers to the average number of babies a woman will have during her reproductive years, was 0.97 in 2023, making Singapore one of the lowest in the world.

While the number of births has been falling, the number of deaths has been steadily climbing over the past decade.

A total of 26,888 people died in 2023, just 0.01% fewer than the 26,891 deaths in 2022. The 2023 figure was 10.7% higher than the 24,292 deaths recorded in 2021.