Elon Musk has again made the headlines as he recently claimed that countries like Singapore are going to go extinct. Musk, known for his advanced space-age views, has expressed concerns over Singapore’s plummeting birth rates and has attributed this as an alarming sign that the country is on the verge of extinction.
“Singapore (and many other countries) are going extinct,” Elon Musk wrote in a post on X, responding to an article that discusses Singapore’s “baby crisis” and the potential role robots could play in resolving the problem.
Falling birth rates right now are a worldwide phenomenon, but in some countries the problem is much graver, like Singapore, where births have dropped below levels that have historically been sustainable. A report from Bloomberg noted that South Korea’s birth rate dipped to 0.7 last year, Singapore’s fell for the first time below 1, and Japan’s hit a record low of 1.2. China, which fed its economy in the 1990s on an ample supply of cheap labor, is now seeing its population decline as well.
The Controversial Stand of Elon Musk on the Future of Singapore
Elon Musk recently sparked controversy with his comments on the fertility rate in Singapore. Speaking on the matter, Musk said that “Singapore [is] going extinct” because of its record-low birth rate, which dropped to 0.97 children per woman in 2023. His comment came after a tweet that mentioned an aging population as a problem and wrote, “More seniors, fewer workers, and a shrinking labor force.” The post implied that robots may be needed to address the labor shortage.
Musk’s remark has immediately got traction on the internet, garnering over 41 million views and provoking a wide range of reactions from Singaporean netizens. His views has faced dismissal, with people saying that the billionaire’s views shouldn’t be taken seriously. Others, however, supported his stand, saying that a fertility rate of 0.97 is not sustainable long-term. One X user pointed out that, while Musk’s argument regarding “original locals” facing extinction might make sense, immigration could help with Singapore’s demographic challenges. Meanwhile, another user countered and said that most of Singapore’s so-called “original locals” are immigrants themselves.
Singapore’s Strategies to Address Low Birth Rates
Despite all these demographic challenges, Singapore has employed numerous measures to boost birth rates. There has been financial aid for assistance with the cost of a child, relaxed rules around the freezing of eggs, and parental leave provisions strengthened. However, that’s when the country is aging the fastest.
As of June, one in five Singaporeans was aged 65 or older. This proportion is expected to rise to one in four by 2030, according to city-state estimates. The nation’s demographic dilemma is not unique; similar issues are affecting other developed and developing nations across Asia.
Aging Population and “Blue Zone” Reputation
Notably, Singapore continues to be recognized as one of the “blue zones,” regions known for long and healthy lifespans. The number of citizens aged 80 and above has significantly increased from 85,000 in 2014 to 142,000 in 2024. This demographic trend underscores the challenges posed by an aging society alongside low fertility rates.
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