Looking for love? Singapore govt may have a match

Singapore has launched a matchmaking service for government employees aged 21 to 35 amid concerns over the country’s record-low birth rate.

Called “FirstDate”, the service was launched this week. Users log in with their national digital ID and complete a survey about their interests, habits and views.

The platform uses the Nobel Prize-winning Gale-Shapley “stable marriage” algorithm to match participants with one potential partner at a time, moving away from the swipe-based model of dating apps.

The initiative has drawn mixed reactions. Some users welcomed the service, while others criticised the government for limiting it to civil servants and questioned the age range.

A 29-year-old Singapore Defence Ministry employee, Elizabeth, told the BBC that she was interested in trying the service, saying she felt more comfortable knowing the risk of being scammed could be lower.

It remains unclear whether FirstDate will eventually be opened to the general public. The BBC has contacted GovTech, the government agency behind the initiative, for comment.

The service comes as Singapore recorded fewer than 30,000 births in 2025 for the first time in six decades. The country also recorded around 26,500 deaths that year.

Singapore has previously introduced government-backed matchmaking initiatives. In 1984, it established the Social Development Unit to encourage marriage among highly educated young people, though the programme later faced criticism for being elitist.

Japan’s Tokyo metropolitan government also launched an AI-powered dating app in September 2024 to address declining birth rates. Government data released in July said at least 265 couples had married through the app.

-AJM