Jakarta – CEO of X Elon Musk said that Singapore and several other countries will face “extinction” due to declining fertility rates in certain countries.
Musk made these comments when responding to a tweet by Mario Nawfal (an influencer on X) who mentioned that Singapore is facing a “baby crisis.” He referenced data published by Newsweek.
“BABY CRISIS IN SINGAPORE: WILL ROBOTS SAVE US?” was the opening line of Nawfal’s tweet.
It was mentioned that Singapore’s birth rate has reached an all-time low of just 0.97 children per woman, far below the 2.1 required to sustain the population.
“What does that mean? More elderly people, fewer workers, and a shrinking labor force. From factories to food delivery, robots are replacing the insufficient human workforce,” Nawfal said.
“By 2030, nearly 1 in 4 Singaporeans will be over 65, and the support ratio has dropped to 4 working adults per senior citizen. In 2014, the ratio was 6,” he continued.
Further, Nawfal said that the Singaporean government has been pushing for more workforce absorption for the elderly and trying to switch to robot usage. Singapore is known to have the second-highest robot density in the world.
In response to this tweet, Elon Musk replied with a brief sentence: “Singapore (and many other countries) are going extinct,” wrote the founder of SpaceX and Tesla.
Musk’s opinion sparked diverse reactions from netizens worldwide.
“People are just surviving. People need more capital to feel comfortable starting a family,” said @nilgirian.
“Birth rates everywhere seem to be declining. Crazy!” exclaimed @CoffeeNGrit.
“There are already robots at airports. Encourage young people to have children. Offer incentives for families,” suggested @JamesPGoddard90.
The proportion of Singapore’s population aged 15 and above participating in the workforce has slightly decreased. This year, the figure is 68.2%, down from 68.6% in 2023, according to the latest report from Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM). Officials have linked the decrease to the increasing number of elderly people.
“Although the labor force participation rate remains high, the figure has been declining for three consecutive years due to the rising proportion of the elderly,” said the ministry in a statement on November 28.
“As the workforce ages, ongoing efforts to improve employment and the capabilities of older workers are more important than ever,” they added.
