Update 20 Sep 2023: Singapore population hits 5.92m
Singapore’s total population hit a record 5.92 million, a 5 per cent increase from a year ago. The population rebounded from declines during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has since exceeded the 2019 population of 5.7 million.
"The total population of 5.92 million as at June 2023 is the highest recorded figure in Singapore’s history," said the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). The figures were published on Friday (Sep 29) in the annual Population in Brief report by the National Population and Talent Division, Prime Minister’s Office. Of the 5.92 million, there were 4.15 million residents and 1.77 million non-residents, which comprise the foreign workforce, dependants and international students.
Singapore citizens made up 3.61 million or 61 per cent of the total. This is a 1.6 per cent rise from last year. The permanent resident (PR) population increased by 3.7 per cent to 538,600 in June 2023. The report said that with the easing of travel restrictions related to COVID-19, more citizens and PRs living overseas returned to Singapore. This was the largest contributing factor to the increases in the citizen and PR populations.
Singapore 'Stop at Two' Policy
The two-child policy was a population control measure introduced by the Singapore government during the 1970s to encourage couples to have no more than two children. It was part of the second Five-Year National Family Planning Programme (1972–75) that was unveiled at the launch of the 1972 National Family Planning Campaign.
As part of the two-child policy, the government introduced a set of disincentives pertaining to childbirth fees, income tax, maternity leave and prioritisation of public housing allocation aimed at penalising couples who had more than two children from 1 August 1973 onwards. In addition, the government launched an array of family-planning events to garner public support for the policy.
Among the most notable activities were the publicity campaigns that carried messages such as “Small families, brighter future – Two is enough” and “The more you have, the less they get – Two is enough”.
Population in brief 2016
There were 3.41 million Singapore citizens as of end June 2016. Together with 0.52 million permanent residents (PRs), there were 3.93 million residents. Non-residents totalled 1.67 million, and include dependants, international students and individuals who are here to work. Singapore’s total population stood at 5.61 million.
The citizen population grew by 1.0% due to citizen births and immigration. The PR population remained relatively stable The non-resident population grew by 2.5%.
There was stronger growth in the number of Foreign Domestic Workers (FDWs) and dependants of Singaporeans who are on Long-Term Visit Passes. The increase in FDW population growth reflects Singaporeans’ rising desire to augment their own care for their children and elderly.
There was stronger growth in the number of Foreign Domestic Workers (FDWs) and dependants of Singaporeans who are on Long-Term Visit Passes. The increase in FDW population growth reflects Singaporeans’ rising desire to augment their own care for their children and elderly.
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POPULATION TRENDS, 2016
Department of Statistics, Ministry of Trade & Industry, Republic of Singapore
As at end-June 2016, Singapore citizens numbered 3.41 million (Table 1.1). Along with 0.52 million permanent residents, there were 3.93 million residents. Non-residents totalled 1.67 million. Altogether, Singapore's total population stood at 5.61 million.
Compared to last year, the resident and citizen population growth for 2016 remained the same at 0.8 per cent and 1.0 per cent respectively. Total population growth has remained relatively stable at about 1.2% to 1.3% since 2014.
Total population comprises Singapore residents and non-residents. Resident population comprises Singapore citizens and permanent residents. Non-resident population comprises foreigners who are working, studying or living in Singapore but not granted permanent residence, excluding tourists and short-term visitors.
Latest Population Figures for Singapore
Population in Brief 2016 has just been released with fresh data on Singapore's population. What's new and notable? Here are the key highlights:
- More citizen marriages in the last two years
- And more Singaporean babies born!
- The children of baby boomers are entering the ages for marriage and parenthood
- Our citizen population continues to age
- Citizen population grew to 3.41 million, while PR population remained stable
- Stronger growth in foreign domestic workers (FDWs) and dependants
- Total population growth rates remained stable and low
Singapore population rises 1.3% to 5.61 million
Even as more S'poreans had babies last year, Singapore’s population growth remained low, rising 1.3% to reach 5.61 million in June.
The statistics, released on Tuesday (Sep 27) by the National Population and Talent Division (NPTD) in its annual Population in Brief report, also showed that the number of citizens rose by 1% to 3.41 million, through births and immigration.
The number of permanent residents (PRs) remained relatively stable at 520,000, compared to 530,000 in June 2015.
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Singapore population at 5.6m in June
Singapore's total population by the end of June this year stood at 5.61 million. This is made up of 3.41 million citizens, 0.52 million permanent residents (PRs), & 1.67 million non-residents.
Total population growth - at 1.3 per cent this year - has remained "relatively stable at about 1.2% to 1.3% since 2014", the Department of Statistics (SingStat) said in its Population Trends 2016 report released today (Sep 27).
The annual growth rate of citizens was at 1.0 per cent; while the number of PRs in S'pore actually shrunk, with the growth rate at minus 0.6 per cent. Growth rate of non-residents was 2.5 per cent, compared to 2.1 per cent and 2.9 per cent in 2015 and 2014 respectively.
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Singapore's population hits 5.61 million in June, with more births, maids, long-term visit passes
Singapore's population hit 5.61 million in June, growing by 1.3 per cent from the year before.
This consists of 3.41 million citizens, 520,000 permanent residents, & 1.67 million non-residents.
The growth in population came as more S'poreans had babies last year, and more maids came here to work to take care of the growing number of elderly S'poreans.
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More births, more marriages, more elderly in Singapore
For the second straight year, more S'porean babies were born
Last year, there were 33,725 citizen babies - up from 33,193 in 2014.
The SG50 births last year was the highest in more than a decade, even higher than the Dragon Year in 2012.
Here’s a snapshot of last year’s numbers released by the national population & talent Division yesterdaya:
- MORE BIRTHS
- MORE MARRIAGES
- MORE ELDERLY
- MORE MAIDS
- FEWER MIXED MARRIAGES
- SMALLER RISE IN FOREIGN WORKERS
- STABLE FERTILITY RATE
- LOW GROWTH RATES
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Foreigners make up 64% of Singapore’s citizen population. Should we panic?
Small island states rely heavily on imports for food and labour
The National Population and Talent Division (NPTD) just released its Population in Brief report for the year.
In a nutshell, Singapore’s population hit 5.61 million in June 2016.
The not so good news? The number of foreigners (non-residents + permanent residents) now make up a whopping 64 percent of the population.
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Singapore’s population now stands at 5.61m
In its latest population brief the National Population and Talent Division (NPTD) which is under the purview of the Prime Minister’s Office said that the total population of Singapore has grown by 1.3 percent to 5.61 million from June 2015 to June 2016.
In its media release NPTD pointed out the key highlight of the past year as such:
- Citizen births in 2015 were the highest in more than a decade, at 33,725 births. This was higher than in 2012, a Dragon year. There were 23,805 citizen marriages in 2015, significantly above this decade’s average of about 21,900 citizen marriages.
- The citizen population grew at a similar pace as last year, with 3.41 million citizens as of end June 2016. This is due to citizen births and a calibrated approach to immigration. The citizen population continues to age, with 13.7% aged 65 and above compared with 13.1% last year. The permanent resident population remained relatively stable at 0.52 million.
- The non-resident population grew by 2.5% to 1.67 million. There was stronger growth in the number of Foreign Domestic Workers and dependants of Singaporeans who are on Long-Term Visit Passes.
related: Singapore PR = tissue paper?
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FOREIGN & NEW CITIZEN POPULATION INCREASED 7 TIMES MORE THAN TRUE BLUE S'POREANS
The non-resident population grew by 2.5 per cent over the same period, to 1.67 million people. The bulk of this growth came from foreign domestic workers and dependents on long-term visit passes, said the report.”
Citizen population grew by 33,900, but 20,815 new citizens granted? The citizen population grew last year by 33,900 (3,408,900 – 3,375,000).
However, 20,815 new citizens were granted in 2015.
related: WHY IS SINGAPORE PR GIVEN OUT LIKE FREE TISSUE PAPER?
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This graph shows exactly the crazy number of PRs granted by S’pore previously
These statistics are according to the annual Population in Brief 2016 report released on Sept. 27 by the National Population and Talent Division (NPTD).
So what about permanent residence? Check out the blue line in the graph above from page 15 of the report.
related:
S’pore to continue to grant 15,000 to 25,000 new citizenships each year
S’pore is going to grow old faster than any society in the world
S’pore population hits 5.61 million as of June 2016
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19,000+ PRs given Singapore citizenship in 2016
Non-resident population increased 62,300 to 1.67 million, while foreigners with permanent residency are kept constant at 524,600. Although Singapore registered only 33,735 new babies born, the real increase considering 19,500 deaths and emigration numbers (around 1,200 renounce their citizenship every year) in 2016 is only around 13,000. With an increase of 33,900 citizen population in 2016, this means that at least 19,000 new citizens were granted to replace the death numbers and migrated. Estimated figures of new citizens is 21,000.
Despite failing public infrastructures like MRT trains, the Singapore government is bent on increasing the population to a 6.9 million target. As younger Singaporeans turn to voting age, their anti-establishment votes are steadily and increasingly eroding the ruling party’s absolute power in Singapore. New immigrants are however “appreciative” of their adopted country and will vote in the ruling party’s favour since the move to immigrate is already a vote of confidence of the ruling party government. Along with the convenience of keeping labour costs cheap by inflating manpower supply, immigration is a win-win strategy to the ruling party whose members and cronies sideline as business directors and owners with reach in nearly all industries.
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Singapore PR = tissue paper?
The P*P must review its flawed immigration policy and not continue to treat PRs as a numbers game to increase the GDP. Since PMs Lee and Goh increased the number of PRs from 112,100 in 1990 to 541,000 in 2010, their numbers have been on a decline. Some serious issues need to be addressed.
(It’s not difficult to understand why P*P has given out such a huge number of PRs to foreigners: without housing, education and healthcare grants/subsidies, the exorbitant living costs would have turned them away. After giving them a free taste of our benefits, wouldn’t these grateful PRs-turned-new-citizens vote for PAP? Or perhaps LKY just wanted to Singaporeans to fight for our rights to be called Singaporeans by having 524,600 PR spurs stuck into our hides?).
Ordinary Singaporeans should be concerned because the increase in PR numbers has directly affected us: more than 90% are from third world countries and willing to settle for lower wages. Most are here to make the best of PAP’s generosity at our expense. There is nothing wrong with wanting the best for ourselves. The problem is PAP’s flawed policy has affected every one of our basic needs by squandering limited public resources on foreigners.
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Aging, but Still Working, in Singapore
The food courts in the basements of shopping malls and the ubiquitous “hawker centers,” covered markets where scores of stall-holders sell cooked food, are a mainstay of eating out in Singapore. At one of my regular lunch spots, I watch the cleaners diligently tidy away the trays. They scrape leftovers into bins and wipe the tables and floors with disinfectant.
They perform these unskilled, repetitive tasks with often surprising enthusiasm. What is striking is, first, that the workers are local Singaporeans, not the foreign-born recent immigrants one might otherwise expect to do such work in a wealthy country like Singapore. More important, they are frequently of, or even beyond, retirement age.
The cleaning staffs have names, of course, but whenever I speak to them, I address them as “Auntie” or “Uncle” — the honorific terms used here when one is speaking to someone of an older generation.
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Does immigration make sense for Singapore?
Financial Times columnist Martin Wolf’s article on the pros and cons of immigration generated some buzz, especially after PM Lee shared it via Facebook. Immigration can be a complex and thorny issue that many countries – including Singapore – are now facing head-on.
We’ve done a quick breakdown of some of Wolf’s key arguments. Since he’s writing in the general context of the countries that are part of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), we’ve also added on how the considerations could translate in Singapore’s case.
Wolf's main argument: Depending on context, there are both advantages and disadvantages of immigration. Hence, the pros and cons of immigration must be weighed.
Singapore population hits 5.54m
No lack of space for 10 million population
Singaporeans have been brought up to accept statements like this as a gospel truth. Many do not even question the meaning of scarcity and without looking at the growth of the nation, do not realise that Singapore’s land size has increased by 100 square kilometers in the last 35 years. Add to that the advances in space planning, improved transport systems, enhanced construction capabilities leading to a much higher population density and “Voila!”, we have 5.54 million people today.
Traffic travels along the Tampines Expressway past public buildings in Punggol (right), while a man enters his home in Sengkang, where the number of flats under HDB management are projected to increase to 92,000 from the current 59,497
The brief statistics are, in the 35-year period between 1980 and 2015, our population grew 129% from 2.41 million to 5.54 million, made possible by a 16% increase in land size from 617.9 sqkm to 719.1 sqkm and a 97% increase in population density from 3,907 people per sqkm to 7,697 people per sq km.
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