February 8, 2024 10:30 PM EST
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong urged young couples to have more babies as the city state battles with a declining birth rate.
“Now is as good a time as any for young couples to add a ‘little dragon’ to your family,” the premier said in his annual Lunar New Year message. The lunar year of the dragon starts Feb. 10.
Read More: Why the Dragon Is a Big Deal in Chinese Culture
The dragon is a “symbol of power, strength and good fortune,” Lee said, while acknowledging that having a baby is a personal decision.
Singapore eased egg freezing rules and doubled government-paid paternity leave to four weeks after its birth rate dropped to a record low of 1.05 babies per woman in 2022. Countries including South Korea, China and Japan have also been battling falling fertility rates and an aging population.