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”.
Parliamentary reply by Minister Indranee Rajah towards Population Trends and Policies
During the debate on the 2013 Population White Paper, the Government said that we would review the population projections and our policies again nearer to 2020. Since then, the Government has regularly explained population developments and reviewed its approach to population policies, including at the annual Committee of Supply (COS) debates as well as the annual Population in Brief publications.
An update on our population outlook was provided during the COS debate in 2018. At that update, the Government said that given recent trends, Singapore’s total population is likely to be significantly below 6.9 million by 2030. The details can be found in the public COS 2018 speech delivered on 1 March 2018.
The outlook provided in 2018 that our total population is likely to be significantly below 6.9 million by 2030 remains valid today. Moreover, the ongoing COVID-19 situation has had an impact on our population numbers for 2020. We saw a slight decline in our total population last year but it is too early to assess the full impact at this point.
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What is the aim of Government population policies?
Our population size is affected by many factors, including birth rates, life expectancy, as well as global developments. The Government aims to achieve a careful balance between these factors to ensure a sustainable Singapore with a cohesive society and vibrant economy that improves Singaporeans’ lives.
The Government does not seek to achieve any particular population size. We monitor our population trends closely, and regularly review our population policies along with infrastructure and social development needs. An update on our population outlook was provided in Parliament in March 2018.
At that update, the Government said that given recent trends, Singapore’s total population is likely to be significantly below 6.9 million by 2030. This outlook remains valid today.
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Singapore population hits 5,897,428
- The current population of Singapore is 5,896,613 as of Monday, July 5, 2021, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data.
- Singapore 2020 population is estimated at 5,850,342 people at mid year according to UN data.
- Singapore population is equivalent to 0.08% of the total world population.
- Singapore ranks number 114 in the list of countries (and dependencies) by population.
- The population density in Singapore is 8358 per Km2 (21,646 people per mi2).
- The total land area is 700 Km2 (270 sq. miles).
- 100% of the population is urban (5,850,342 people in 2020).
- The median age in Singapore is 42.2 years.
Singapore: Total population from 2016 to 2026
In 2019, the total population of Singapore was approximately 5.7 million inhabitants. Population growth in the country is slow and even dropped below one percent the same year.
The youth is fading - Singapore’s population is getting older, with the age bracket of those aged 65 and older getting bigger every year. At the same time, both the share of the younger age brackets, the 0-14 year-olds and the 15-64 year-olds, are decreasing. The median age of the Singaporeans is increasing rapidly, from 34.1 years in the year 2000 to an estimated 42.4 by 2020, with no slowdown in sight.
The old are here to stay - The majority of Singaporeans are between 25 and 60 years old. In the years to come, improving healthcare and one of the highest life expectancies at birth will see this majority shift to the elderly. Additionally, Singapore’s fertility rate - the average number of children born per woman of childbearing age - is the lowest worldwide and below the replacement rate, which means that Singapore’s population is not only getting older, but also smaller in numbers in the future. This trend could have economic consequences, like decreasing GDP growth and increasing old-age dependency.
Singapore Population 2021 (Live)
Singapore’s Total Fertility Rate of 1.20 per woman interprets to projecting only a slight increase in the total population. The fertility rate stands as one of the lowest in the world today and the government’s efforts prove there is a need to increase the fertility ratio. In the past, the government has launched highly publicized campaigns to raise awareness of the shortcomings of an aging population, and it has also been compelled to adjust its immigration policy in order to allow people in who will satisfy the country’s labor needs. The population is set to grow over time; however, the growth will not be sufficient to meet the labor demands that Singapore has due to industrialization within the Island. Thus, there is a possibility that in the years to come, part of the population growth will be attributed to immigration into the country.
Singapore Population Growth:
- Estimates from 2006 indicate that the net migration rate was 9.12 migrants per 1000 of the population. This was because the aging part of the population, although lower than most other developed countries at 9.9%, created a need to increase the task force in the country through means other than natural growth.
- With the country’s different cultures bearing less than 1.7 as the fertility rate, the change in the current population is significantly impacted by immigrants over time. Since the early 2000s, the trend in population growth has been more a result of the number of migrants entering the country than from natural population growth.
- The annual growth rate in 2012 was 2.5% according to statistic figures released. The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has been 1.2 as of 2011 with 1.08 for Chinese, 1.64 for Malay and 1.09 for Indians. The Malay fertility rate was 70% higher than that of the Chinese and Indians. The country’s authorities have tried for years to boost the fertility ratio to 2.1 births per woman.
- By the end of June 2012, the population of Singapore stood at 5.31 million. The record low was 1.65 million five decades ago, even though the fertility ratio then was higher than it is now. Today, the population is estimated to be 5.5 million. Immigration into the Island has played a critical role in realizing the current population figure. As the government’s recent campaigns to increase the fertility ratio from 1.20 to 2.1 have been futile, the government has been forced to amend its immigration policies to accommodate the increasing labor demands caused by the Island’s industrialization.
Singapore Population 1950-2021
Chart and table of Singapore population from 1950 to 2021. United Nations projections are also included through the year 2100:
- The current population of Singapore in 2021 is 5,896,686, a 0.79% increase from 2020.
- The population of Singapore in 2020 was 5,850,342, a 0.79% increase from 2019.
- The population of Singapore in 2019 was 5,804,337, a 0.81% increase from 2018.
- The population of Singapore in 2018 was 5,757,499, a 0.87% increase from 2017.
Singapore records slowest decade of population growth since independence
Singapore's population rose by about 1.1% each year over the past decade, the slowest rate since independence in 1965, the latest census showed on Wednesday, with locals having fewer children and immigration policies tightening. Just last year, the global financial hub saw its population fall 0.3% to 5.69 million, the first drop since 2003, due to fewer foreign arrivals on the back of travel curbs and job losses brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.
Like many other developed countries, Singapore is struggling with the implications of low birth rates and an ageing population. Residents aged 65 years and over formed 15.2% of the population in 2020, up from 9% in 2010. Between 2010 and 2020, the number of Singaporean citizens increased to 3.52 million from 3.23 million. But more are staying single and those who marry are having fewer children. The average number of children born to a resident female, who has been married, aged 40 to 49 years dropped to 1.76 in 2020, from 2.02 in 2010.
The median age of the resident population, which includes citizens and permanent residents, increased to 41.5 years in 2020 from 37.4 years in 2010, the latest census showed. Authorities have also been accelerating immigration restrictions since the 2011 general elections when the ruling People's Action Party polled a record low share of the popular vote, hurt by citizens' anxiety over an influx of foreigners.
Population in Brief 2020: Key Trends
The Population in Brief (PIB) 2020 provides key updates and trends on Singapore’s population. Here’s a snapshot of what the key trends are:
- Citizen marriages - In 2019, there were 22,165 citizen marriages, compared to 23,632 citizen marriages in 2018. Over the last five years (2015 to 2019), there were about 23,600 citizen marriages on average each year, more than the average of 22,400 each year in the previous five years (2010 to 2014).
- Citizen births - There were 32,844 citizen births in 2019, compared to 32,413 citizen births in 2018. Over the last five years (2015 to 2019), there were about 32,900 citizen births on average each year, higher than the average of 31,700 each year in the previous five years (2010 to 2014). The resident total fertility rate remained at 1.14 in 2019, unchanged from the year before.
Overall population:
- The citizen population grew by 0.6 per cent, to reach 3.52 million as of June 2020. The citizen population continues to age steadily, with 16.8 per cent aged 65 and above compared with 16.0 per cent last year. The permanent resident population remained stable at 0.52 million as of June 2020.
- The non-resident population decreased by 2.1 per cent, to reach 1.64 million as of June 2020. This was largely due to a reduction in foreign employment in Services, from June 2019 to June 2020. By pass type, Work Permit Holders saw the largest decrease.
- Overall, Singapore’s total population stands at 5.69 million as of June 2020. The total population decreased slightly by 0.3 per cent from June 2019 to June 2020. This was largely due to the decrease in the non-resident population.
Slowest decade of population growth in Singapore since independence: Census 2020
Singapore's total population grew from 5.08 million in 2010 to 5.69 million in 2020. (Graphic: Rafa Estrada)
Singapore’s total population saw its lowest decade of growth since independence between 2010 and 2020, increasing by 1.1 per cent a year - a slowdown from the 2.5 per cent per year between 2000 and 2010.
This was among the findings released on Wednesday (Jun 16) by the Department of Statistics (DOS) in its first statistical release from its census of the population in 2020. More information from the census will be released on Friday.
The census – Singapore’s largest national statistical exercise – is conducted once a decade to collect demographic, social and economic data, among others. It surveyed 150,000 households last year.
Singapore’s population declines to 5.69 million, with fewer foreigners
Singapore’s population declined by 0.3 per cent in the past year to 5.69 million as of June 2020, with a fall in the number of foreigners, data released by the National Population and Talent Division on Thursday (Sep 24) showed.
The citizen population grew by 0.6 per cent in the past year to 3.52 million and continues to “age steadily”, with 16.8 per cent aged 65 and above compared with 16 per cent last year, said the Population in Brief annual report.
The number of permanent residents held steady at 0.52 million, the data showed.
Census 2020: Key trends of a changing Singapore and what they mean
More educated, higher earning, fewer marriages and babies, less religious and getting greyer. Singapore's demographic evolution is posing challenges, as Insight finds out.
In a trend reflecting profound changes in attitudes towards marriage and parenthood, fewer Singaporeans are getting married and having children than they were 10 years ago, with younger Singaporeans more likely to stay single.
They are also getting older, and the country is experiencing its slowest decade of population growth since Independence. The census - conducted every 10 years - surveyed 150,000 households last year for its latest iteration.
It is the largest national survey undertaken here on key characteristics of the population, including demographic, social, economic, employment, housing, transportation and education data. What are the implications of these changes? What is at stake for the economy and society?
Dancing around 10 million people
10,000,000 - That’s the figure Singapore is all agog over. The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) said that Deputy Prime Minister – and People’s Action Party’s (PAP) first assistant secretary-general – Heng Swee Keat said it. Heng said no. SDP said Straits Times (ST) reported it. ST said Heng didn’t say 10 million people. The PAP, thinking it has scored a hit, wants the SDP to apologise. The SDP, thinking it has scored a hit, claims victory.
We, the voters, are being led on a merry dance. I think the SDP was too quick to pull one phrase out of a newspaper report of a university dialogue to say that Heng was toying with the idea of raising the population number to 10 million. The confusion seems to have come about because the journalist did the needful thing called “backgrounding’’ in the report published in March last year. ST said: “On the projected population of 6.9 million by 2030, set out in the Government’s 2013 Population White Paper, Mr Heng said the number goes beyond how densely populated Singapore would be. The social space is as important. Singapore’s population density is not excessive, he said, noting that other cities are a lot more crowded in terms of liveable space. He cited former chief planner Liu Thai Ker, who said in 2014 that Singapore should plan for 10 million people for it to remain sustainable in the long term.”
Five months later, on 20 October, the SDP held a pre-election rally in Hong Lim Park where it formally introduced “No to 10 million population’’ as one of its planks. I reported this, and said I was puzzled that I seemed to have missed such a big story. That was when I found the earlier March article on Heng.
Lee Hsien Yang shares late Lee Kuan Yew’s view on not wanting 6.5 million population for Singapore
On Tuesday (28 July), Mr Lee Hsien Yang (LHY), younger son of Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew (LKY), took to his Facebook to share an article published by The Straits Times (ST) in 2008, in which Mr LKY clearly voiced his reservations on having a population of 6.5 million for Singapore.
The article, titled “MM ‘not quite sold’ on idea of 6.5m for Singapore”, stated that Mr LKY projected that the ideal population size for Singapore is 5.5 million as it will be able to “preserve open spaces and sense of comfort”.
“MINISTER Mentor Lee Kuan Yew ‘has not quite been sold’ on the idea of a 6.5 million population size in Singapore. Instead, he projects for Singapore an optimum size of five to 5.5 million for Singapore,” the article read.
Department of Statistics Singapore
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