Singapore launches 'FirstDate' government dating app using Nobel prize algorithm to battle record-low birth rate

From the Newshound archive · first published 30 September 2026 · last updated 1 October 2026.

Singapore has rolled out a matchmaking service exclusively for civil servants aged 21 to 35, as the city-state grapples with a record-low fertility rate. Called 'FirstDate', the app uses the Nobel prize-winning Gale-Shapley Stable Marriage algorithm to pair participants with one match at a time, promising to end 'swipe fatigue'. Users log in via Singapore's national digital identity system and complete a survey on interests, habits and values. The government is covering the cost of the first date.

Critics have branded the scheme 'dystopian', with some accusing the government of writing off singles aged over 35 as 'higher risk' for childbearing.

A defence ministry worker told the BBC she welcomed the lower scam risk, saying 'we're all public servants looking for a partner'.

The pilot scheme is currently limited to government employees, drawing accusations of discrimination against private-sector workers.