SINGAPORE (AFP) -- Singapore needs to attract foreign migrants to top up the population of the city-state whose birth rate in 2005 remained at an all-time low of 1.24 children per woman, said Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng.

Last year's birth rate of 1.24, the same as 2004, meant only 35,600 babies were born, well below the replacement rate of 2.1 that Singapore needs in order to replenish its population naturally, he said late Saturday in a speech.

"Our total fertility rate is at a low of 1.24... To replace ourselves, we should have 60,000 births each year. For us, the gap is too large to fill with resident births. We have to top up our population and work force with migrants," Wong said. The drive to attract talented foreign migrants was crucial to Singapore's long-term competitiveness as they would boost the local work force and their contributions would expand the economic pie, Wong said.

Singapore has intensified efforts to address the baby shortage in recent years with a raft of measures to encourage married Singaporeans to have more children. These include longer maternity leave, cash subsidies and a lower levy on hiring foreign maids. The government has also made efforts to attract talented foreigners to take up citizenship. Singapore fears a low birth rate will have a long-term economic impact and increase the proportion of elderly citizens relative to those of working age, raising social welfare costs. The city-state has a population of 3.4 million plus some 800,000 foreign workers and professionals.