Singapore has launched a government matchmaking service for public servants aged 21 to 35 as the nation grapples with a record-low fertility rate.
Launched this week, FirstDate is currently in a pilot phase. It aims to offer “a different approach to dating” by using a Nobel-winning algorithm to match participants with one date at a time. Its website says, “Swipe fatigue ends here.”
Participants sign in through Singapore’s national digital identity system and complete a survey covering their interests, habits and values.
FirstDate uses the Gale-Shapley Stable Marriage algorithm, a mathematical framework designed to match two equally sized groups based on their preferences. Late mathematician Lloyd Shapley received the 2012 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for discovering the algorithm, which has also been used for public school admissions, medical residency matching and dating applications.
The launch has drawn mixed reactions in Singapore, with some describing the initiative as “dystopian” while others have expressed interest in trying it.
Elizabeth, a 29-year-old employee at Singapore’s defence ministry who is keen to test the platform, told the BBC that while meeting someone does not differ much across dating applications, she finds it reassuring that the likelihood of being scammed is much lower among public servants looking for a partner.
However, social media users have criticised the pilot for excluding non-government workers and limiting participation to people aged 21 to 35.
One Reddit user argued that the government was introducing the initiative solely to boost the total fertility rate rather than to help singles find partners. The user also said the programme effectively writes off older singles because of the higher risks associated with having children at age 35 and above.
It remains unclear whether FirstDate will eventually be opened to the wider public. GovTech, the statutory board behind the pilot, has been contacted by the BBC for comment.
The pilot comes as Singapore’s birth rate has fallen to historic lows, with fewer than 30,000 babies born in 2025, the lowest figure in 60 years. Annual deaths in the ageing nation have also risen steadily, reaching around 26,500 in 2025.
In August, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced new measures to support families and encourage childbearing, including almost S$70,000 ($54,000; £41,000) in financial support for each child by the age of 17.
Singapore has previously attempted government-sponsored matchmaking. In 1984, it established the Social Development Unit (SDU) to organise social events for single university graduates.
Although the initiative was criticised as elitist, authorities defended its target group, saying non-graduates did not appear to have difficulty finding partners. The SDU was eventually phased out, and the government established another agency the following year to promote marriages among non-graduates.
Government-run dating services have also been introduced elsewhere. In September 2024, Tokyo’s metropolitan government launched an AI-powered dating app for single city residents as part of efforts to tackle Japan’s declining birth rate. Government figures released in July this year said the initiative had resulted in 265 marriages.
