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Singapore's government has launched a dating platform for its own employees, its latest attempt to address declining marriage numbers and historically low fertility.
The pilot, called FirstDate, was unveiled Tuesday, Sept. 29, by GovTech, the government's technology agency. It is open to public officials aged 21 to 35 who are single, widowed or divorced.
Participants verify their identity through Singpass, the national digital identity system, and complete a questionnaire on interests, habits, values and preferences, including religion, age, and dealbreakers.
The platform then pairs users with the Gale-Shapley Stable Marriage algorithm, a mathematical method that generates matches from participants' stated preferences, and presents one match at a time.
The approach is meant to counter "swipe fatigue," the exhaustion some people feel from endlessly browsing profiles on dating apps. The Straits Times reported that both users receive a text message and have three days to accept. A "date quest" feature suggests an ice-breaking activity, and users are later asked to rate their date.
According to the FirstDate website, the project started at GovTech's annual hackathon, an event where officers test new ideas, and grew out of a question about whether more potential matches actually make finding a partner easier.
The platform says only a match can see a user's profile and that users decide whether to share contact details. Responses are handled under government data security standards and are not monetized or shared with third parties, except where the law requires or permits. GovTech has not said whether the service will be opened to the general public.
Singapore, with a population of just over six million, recorded its lowest fertility rate on record last year. Marriage registrations fell for a third consecutive year in 2025.
In August, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced a package of measures, including financial incentives, to encourage larger families. The country also became a super-aged society this year, meaning at least 21% of its population is 65 or older.
State-backed matchmaking is not new in Singapore. The Social Development Unit, a government agency, moved away from direct matchmaking in recent years as dating apps became popular. In Japan, an AI-powered dating app launched by the Tokyo government in 2024 has led to 265 marriages.
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