Singapore has rolled out a matchmaking service for its government workers, an initiative that comes as the country wrestles with a record‑low fertility rate.
FirstDate, which launched this week for those aged 21 to 35, boasts “a different approach to dating”, where it uses a Nobel‑winning algorithm to match participants to one date at a time. “Swipe fatigue ends here,” its website reads.
Participants sign in using the national digital identity system and answer a survey about their interests, habits and values.
FirstDate’s launch drew mixed responses among Singaporeans, with some describing it as “dystopian” and others saying they would be keen to give it a shot.
The Gale‑Shapley Stable Marriage algorithm, which powers the programme, pairs two equally sized groups based on preferences. The algorithm won the 2012 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for its role in matching students to schools, doctors to residencies and couples in dating apps.
“At the end of the day, I think the experience of meeting someone through an application doesn't change much across the [different types of] applications,” said Elizabeth, a 29‑year‑old defence‑minister employee. “But it is nice to know that the likelihood of being scammed is much lower. We’re all public servants looking for a partner, right?”
Some social media users say the initiative discriminates against those not working in government, and others criticized the age limit, claiming the government is pushing people to marry at a time when children’s health risks rise.
It is not clear if the pilot programme will be available to the wider public. The BBC has reached out to GovTech, the statutory board behind the pilot, for comment.
The pilot launch comes as Singapore’s birth rate has slumped to historic lows. For the first time in the past 60 years, fewer than 30,000 babies were born in 2025. The number of deaths meanwhile have been rising steadily in the greying nation, hitting about 26,500 in 2025.
In August, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced a series of new measures to better support families and to encourage couples to have children, including almost S$70,000 ($54,000; £41,000) in financial support for every child by the time they turn 17.
FirstDate is not the first time the city‑state has tried to play Cupid to its citizens. In 1984, it set up the Social Development Unit (SDU) to organise social events for graduate singles. The SDU was eventually phased out, and the next year the government set up another agency to promote marriages among non‑graduates.
The idea of a government‑run dating service is not unique to Singapore. In September 2024, Tokyo’s metropolitan government launched an AI‑powered dating app in an effort to combat the country’s declining birth rate, producing 265 couples married according to government data released in July this year.
