Singapore has launched a matchmaking service for government workers aged between 21 and 35, using an algorithm to match participants based on their preferences, interests and values.
According to the BBC, the service, known as FirstDate, was launched this week as a pilot programme for public servants.
Participants sign in using Singapore’s national digital identity system before completing a questionnaire covering their interests, habits and values.
FirstDate matches users with one potential partner at a time instead of allowing them to browse through multiple profiles.
The platform uses the Gale-Shapley Stable Marriage algorithm, developed by economist Lloyd Shapley and mathematician David Gale. The system is designed to create stable matches between two groups based on their preferences.
The BBC reported that the algorithm has also been used in areas such as school admissions and the allocation of medical residents.
A 29-year-old public servant working at Singapore’s defence ministry told the BBC that she was open to using the platform. She said a government-backed service could reduce concerns about scams because participants are verified public servants.
However, some critics have questioned why FirstDate is limited to government employees and people aged between 21 and 35.
The BBC reported that some social media users viewed the age restriction as being linked to the government’s efforts to increase the country’s birth rate. It remains unclear whether the pilot will be eventually opened to the wider public.
The initiative comes as Singapore records historically low birth rates and an ageing population.
According to the BBC, fewer than 30,000 babies were born in Singapore in 2025, the first time the annual figure had fallen below that level in six decades. About 26,500 deaths were recorded during the same year.
The government has introduced measures aimed at supporting families and encouraging people to have children. In August, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced additional family support measures, including almost $70,000 in financial assistance for each child by the age of 17, the BBC reported.
Singapore has previously used government-backed programmes to encourage relationships. In 1984, authorities established the Social Development Unit (SDU) to organise social activities for single graduates. The programme was later phased out following criticism over its focus on university graduates.
The government subsequently established another agency aimed at promoting marriages among non-graduates.
Singapore is also not the only government to turn to technology to encourage relationships.
The BBC reported that Tokyo’s metropolitan government launched an AI-powered dating app in September 2024 as part of efforts to address Japan’s declining birth rate.