Singapore will further ease rules on egg freezing by increasing the age limit for women who wish to undergo the procedure.
The move, announced by the city-state’s Ministry of Health and Ministry of Social and Family Development Monday, will set the age cap on the optional procedure at 37, up from the originally planned 35, from July 1. The new rule will apply to both women seeking to freeze their eggs and donors.
Singapore announced last year in a landmark move that it will ease a ban on the procedure — previously allowed just for medical reasons. Like most developed nations, the financial hub’s 4.1 million strong resident population is rapidly ageing, and it’s seeking to curb a decline in its fertility rate, which fell to a historical low of 1.05 babies per woman in 2022.
The government said it was making the move in part after reviewing international and local evidence, and considering the desire of women to preserve their fertility due to “personal circumstances” like not being able to find a partner when they were younger.
The median age for resident first-time mothers has risen to 31 as of 2020 compared to 30.3 in 2013. Authorities reiterated that only legally married couples will be allowed to use frozen eggs for procreation.