| Demographics ofSingapore | |
|---|---|
 Population pyramid of Singapore in 2024[needs update] | |
| Population | 6,111,200 (2025)[1] |
| Birth rate |  7.4 births/1,000 population (2024)[2] |
| Death rate |  6.0 deaths/1,000 population (2024)[3] |
| Life expectancy |  83.5 years (2024)[3] |
| • male | 81.2 years (2024)[3] |
| • female | 85.6 years (2024)[3] |
| Fertility rate |  0.97 (2024)[2] |
| Infant mortality rate | 2.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2024)[3] |
| Age structure | |
| 0–14 years | 13.60% (2025)[4] |
| 15–64 years | 67.62% (2025)[4] |
| 65 and over | 18.78% (2025)[4] |
| Nationality | |
| Nationality | Singaporean |
| Major ethnic | Chinese (75.5%)[1] |
| Minor ethnic | Malay (15.1%) Indian (7.6%) Eurasian and others (1.8%)[1] |
| Language | |
| Official | English,Mandarin,Malay,Tamil |
| Spoken | English, Singlish, Mandarin, Malay, Tamil andothers |
As of June 2025, the population ofSingapore stood at 6.11 million. Of these 6.11 million, 4.20 million are residents, consisting of about 3.66 millioncitizens and 540,000permanent residents (PRs). The remaining 1.91 million people living in Singapore are classed as non-residents, defined as "foreign workforce acrossall pass types, dependants and international students".[1]
Singapore is a multi-racial, multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society. Major religions includeBuddhism,Christianity,Islam,Taoism andHinduism. Its population is broadly classified under the CMIO system:Chinese,Malay,Indian and Other. While Malays are recognised as the indigenous community, 75.5 percent of citizens and permanent residents are ethnic Chinese, with Malays and Indians making up 15.1 and 7.6 percent respectively. These three groups make up 98.2 percent of the ethnic citizen population, while the remaining 1.8 percent, categorised as Other, are largely Eurasians.[5][6][7][8][9] Non-residents, who make up 29 percent of the overall population, are excluded from resident statistics.[9] Officially, mixed-race Singaporeans are typically assigned their father's race, though theiridentity card may also reflect both parents' ethnicities.[10]
Singapore has four official languages:English,Malay,Mandarin andTamil. Malay holds the status ofnational language, but English is the mainworking language.[11] Theeducation system isbilingual, with English as the medium of instruction and a second language, usually Malay, Mandarin or Tamil, also required.[12][13]Singlish, a localcreole, is commonly spoken in informal settings across all major ethnic groups. In 2020, the total population growth rate was -0.3 percent. The residenttotal fertility rate (TFR) was 1.10, with Chinese at 0.94, Malays at 1.83 and Indians at 0.97.[14][15][16]
| Period | Population increase | Natural increase | Net immigration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1881–1891 | 43,857 | −30,932A | 74,798 |
| 1901–1911 | 75,729 | −59,978A | 135,707 |
| 1921–1931 | 230,387 | 18,176 | 212,211 |
| 1947–1957 | 507,800 | 395,600 | 112,200 |
| 1970–1980 | 339,400 | 315,400 | 24,000 |
| 1990–2000 | 980,755 | 325,887 | 654,868 |
| 2000–2010 | 1,048,845 | 224,718 | 824,127 |
| 2010–2020 | 609,075 | 203,643 | 405,432 |
| |||
Population growth in Singapore was fuelled by immigration for a long period of time, starting soon afterStamford Raffles landed in Singapore in 1819, when the population of the island was estimated to be around 1,000.[18] The first official census taken in January 1824 showed that the resident population of Singapore had grown to 10,683: 4,580 Malays, 3,317 Chinese, 1,925Bugis, 756 natives of India, 74 Europeans, 16 Armenians, and 15 Arabs.[19] Chinese males greatly outnumbered the females; in the 1826 population figures there were 5,747 Chinese males but only 341 Chinese females, in contrast to 2,501 Malay males and 2,289 Malay females. The figures for around a thousand Indians in 1826 were also similarly skewed towards male – 209 male and 35 femaleBengalis, 772 males and 5 females from theCoromandel Coast.[20] By 1836, the population figure had risen to 29,980, and marked a change in demographics as the Malays were outnumbered for the first time; 45.9% of the population were Chinese versus 41.9% for Malays (including Javanese and Bugis).[21][22] Women from China were discouraged from emigrating, and most of the Chinese females in this early period of Singapore were likelynyonyas fromMalacca; it was noted in 1837 that there were no Chinese women in Singapore who had emigrated directly from China.[22]
The imbalance of the sexes continued for a long period, for example, the 1901 census figures show that there were 130,367 Chinese males compared to 33,674 Chinese females.[23] Such imbalance also meant that fewer people were born in early Singapore, and in the first hundred years, most of the Chinese population in Singapore were immigrants. By the late 1890s, only around 10% of the Chinese population in Singapore were born there.[24] Many of the early migrant workers from China and India did not intend to settle permanently to raise their families in Singapore; they worked to send back remittance to their families back home, and would return to China or India after they had earned enough money. Later an increasing number of Chinese chose to settle permanently in Singapore, especially in the 1920s when it became more favourable to stay in Singapore rather than returning to China. Change in social attitude in the modern era also meant that Chinese women were freer to emigrate from China, and the sex ratio began to normalise.[22] This gradual normalisation of sex ratio led to an increase in the number of native births. Immigration continued to be the main reason for the Chinese population increase in Singapore until the 1931–1947 period when the natural increase in population surpassed the net immigration figure.[24][25]
AfterWorld War II, in the period from 1947 to 1957, Singapore saw a massive population increase mostly due to increased number of native births.[26] The birth rate rose and the death rate fell; the average annual growth rate was 4.4%, of which 1% was due to immigration; Singapore experienced its highest birth rate in 1957 at 42.7 per thousand individuals. (This was also the same year theUnited States saw its peak birth rate.)
Immigration to Singapore also fell sharply after Singapore independence due to tighter control of immigration from Malaysia and other countries. The population increase became dominated by native births with 315,400 in the 1970–1980 period due to natural increase compared to 24,000 from net migration. However, a lower rate of natural growth in population and the need for low-skill labour resulted in a deliberate shift in policy by the Singapore government to allow more foreigners to live and work in the country, and net migration increased in the 1980–1990 period to nearly 200,000. By the decade of 1990–2000, the net migrant number of over 600,000 had surpassed the natural growth of the population, and accounted for nearly two-thirds of the population increase. The same high level of immigration is also seen in the next decade with 664,083 net migration recorded.[17]
| Net migration rate | 9.12 migrants/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
|---|
Due to the continued low birth rate, amongst other reasons, the Singapore government has varied itsimmigration policy over the years. As the demand for labour grew with industrialisation, foreign talent with professional qualifications as well as less-skilled foreign workers has made up a significant and increasing proportion of Singapore's total population since the 2000s and 2010s. Curbs on immigration, however, began to be implemented in the 2010s to ease increasing social issues arising from the high level of immigration.[27]
| Period | Growth rate |
|---|---|
| 1947—1957 | 84.7% |
| 1957—1970 | 90.8% |
| 1970—1980 | 13.3% |
| 1980—1990 | 18.5% |
| 1990— 2000 | 20.6% |
The post-war boom in births led to an interest in family planning, and by 1960, the government publicly funded and supported family planning programmes. After independence in 1965, the birth rate had fallen to 29.5 per thousand individuals, and the natural growth rate had fallen to 2.5%. Birth rates in the 1960s were still perceived as high by the government; on average, a baby was born every 11 minutes in 1965.Kandang Kerbau Hospital (KKH)—which specialised in women's health and was the most popular hospital to have children—saw over 100 deliveries per day in 1962. In 1966, KKH delivered 39835 babies, earning it a place in theGuinness Book of World Records for "largest number of births in a single maternity facility" for ten years. Because there was generally a massive shortage of beds in that era, mothers with routine deliveries were discharged from hospitals within 24 hours.[28]
In September 1965 theMinister for Health,Yong Nyuk Lin, submitted a white paper to Parliament, recommending a "Five-year Mass Family Planning programme" that would reduce the birth rate to 20.0 per thousand individuals by 1970. In 1966, the Family Planning and Population Board (FPPB) had been established based on the findings of the white paper, providing clinical services and public education onfamily planning.[29]
By 1970, theStop at Two campaign was firmly established, implementing incentives, disincentives and public exhortation to discourage families from having more than two children. After 1975, the fertility rate declined below replacement level, in a sign that Singapore was undergoing thedemographic transition. In 1983, theGraduate Mothers' Scheme was implemented in an attempt to get educated women, especially women with a university degree, to marry and procreate, while the government encouraged women without anO-level degree to getsterilised. This was done out of theLee Kuan Yew government's belief that for the nation to best develop and avoid hardship, the educated classes should be encouraged to contribute to the nation's breeding pool, while the uneducated should not, sparking theGreat Marriage Debate.[29]
In 1986, the government reversed its population policy—except its stance on low-income, lowly-educated women—and initiated theHave Three or More (if you can afford it) campaign, offering cash and public administration incentives to have children. In 2001, the Singapore government started itsBaby Bonus scheme.
Singapore has one of the lowestfertility rates in the world. In 2012, Singapore total fertility rate (TFR) was 1.20 children born per woman, asub-replacement fertility rate. Ethnic Chinese had a fertility of 1.07 in 2004 (1.65 in 1990), while Malays had a TFR of 2.10 (2.69 in 1990). Both figures declined further in 2006. TFR for Indians was 1.30 in 2004 and 1.89 in 1990.[30] The Singapore government has launched several highly publicised attempts to raise the fertility rate and increase awareness of the negative effects of an ageing population, the elderly (65 and above) had constituted 9.9% of its population in 2012; this proportion is still significantly lower than that of many other developed nations, such as the United States and Japan. In February 2015,National University of Singapore launched the "New Age Institute" in conjunction withWashington University in St. Louis to conduct research on this issue.[31]
The population of Singapore are generally housed withinnew towns, which are large scale satellite housing developments designed to be self contained. It includes public housing units, private housing, a town centre and other amenities.[32] Since the 1950s, Singapore had a city centre surrounded by slums and squatter colonies. By 1959 when Singapore attained self government, the problem of housing shortage had grown. Combined with a fast population growth, it led to congestion and squalor.[33] Thenew towns planning concept was introduced in July 1952 by the country's public housing authority,Housing and Development Board (HDB), to counter the housing shortage problem and to relocate most of the population crammed within the city centre to other parts of the island.[34][35] Today, there are 23 new towns and 3 estates within the country, with Bedok being the largest by area and population.[36]
In early 2013, theParliament of Singapore debated the policies set out in the Population White Paper (PWP) titledA Sustainable Population for a Dynamic Singapore. The White Paper noted that by 2030, around 900,000baby boomers would make up one quarter of the citizen population and that the workforce would begin to shrink "from 2020 onwards". It projected that by 2030, Singapore's total population could range between 6.5 and 6.9 million, with the resident population between 4.2 and 4.4 million and the citizen population between 3.6 and 3.8 million. To address these challenges, the PWP recommended increasing the number of foreign workers to strike a balance between skilled and less skilled labour, as well as to provide healthcare and domestic services. It also argued that foreign workers support businesses in times of economic growth.[37]
The motion was passed by a vote of 77 to 13 in thePeople's Action Party (PAP)–dominated Parliament, following amendments that removed the phrase "population policy" and placed greater emphasis on infrastructure and transport development. Opposition to the motion came from non–PAP parliamentarians, including all seven MPs of theWorkers' Party (WP). In addition, threeNon-constituency Members of Parliament (NCMPs) voted against it, two from the WP and one from theSingapore People's Party (SPP). SeveralNominated Members of Parliament (NMPs) also expressed dissent, with three casting votes against the motion and one choosing to abstain.[38]
Outside Parliament, the PWP was heavily criticised and panned by opposition parties and government critics.[39] WP'sLow Thia Khiang criticised current measures of increasing the fertility rate, claiming that this would lead to an increase of a higher cost of living and discourage young couples from having more kids. As for current immigration policies, he had noted that immigrants were a source of friction for Singaporeans and that an increased population would put more stress and strain on the urban infrastructure.[40] On 16 February 2013, an estimated 4,000 Singaporeans gathered at theSpeakers' Corner inHong Lim Park to protest against the PWP. Participants voiced concerns that the projected population increase would strain public services and drive up the cost of living. The event was noted as the largest protest of an anti government nature to be held at the Speakers' Corner since its establishment in 2000.[41]
Source: Singapore Department of Statistics[42][43]
| Year | Number ('000) | Growth (year on year) | Land area (km2)[44] | Population density (persons per km2) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | Total residents | Singapore citizens | Permanent residents | Non-residents | Total population | Total residents | Singapore citizens | Permanent residents | Non-residents | |||
| 1950 | 1,022.1 | na | na | na | na | 4.4% | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| 1955 | 1,305.5 | na | na | na | na | 4.6% | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| 1960 | 1,646.4 | na | na | na | na | 3.7% | na | na | na | na | 581.5 | 2,831 |
| 1965 | 1,886.9 | na | na | na | na | 2.5% | na | na | na | na | 581.5 | 3,245 |
| 1970 | 2,074.5 | 2,013.6 | 1,874.8 | 138.8 | 60.9 | 2.8% | na | na | na | na | 586.4 | 3,538 |
| 1975 | 2,262.6 | na | na | na | na | 1.5% | na | na | na | na | 596.8 | 3,791 |
| 1980 | 2,413.9 | 2,282.1 | 2,194.3 | 87.8 | 131.8 | 1.5% | 1.3% | na | na | na | 617.8 | 3,907 |
| 1985 | 2,736 | 2,482.6 | na | na | 253.3 | 0.1% | 1.6% | na | na | na | 620.5 | 4,409 |
| 1990 | 3,047.1 | 2,735.9 | 2,623.7 | 112.1 | 311.3 | 2.3% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 2.3% | 9.0% | 633 | 4,706 |
| 1995 | 3,524.5 | 3,013.5 | 2,823.7 | 189.8 | 511 | 3.1% | 1.8% | 1.4% | 8.3% | 11.2% | 647.5 | 5,443 |
| 2000 | 4,027.9 | 3,273.4 | 2,985.9 | 287.5 | 754.5 | 2.8% | 1.8% | 1.3% | 9.9% | 9.3% | 682.7 | 5,900 |
| 2005 | 4,265.8 | 3,467.8 | 3,081 | 386.8 | 797.9 | 2.4% | 1.6% | 0.8% | 8.6% | 5.9% | 697.9 | 6,121 |
| 2010 | 5,076.7 | 3,771.7 | 3,230.7 | 541.0 | 1,305.0 | 1.8% | 1.0% | 0.9% | 1.5% | 4.1% | 712.4 | 7,126 |
| 2015 | 5,535.0 | 3,902.7 | 3,375.0 | 527.7 | 1,632.3 | 1.2% | 0.8% | 1.0% | 0% | 2.1% | 719.1 | 7,697 |
| 2020 | 5,685.8 | 4,044.2 | 3,523.2 | 521.0 | 1,641.6 | -0.3% | 0.4% | 0.6% | -0.8% | 0.02% | 728.3 | 7,810 |
| 2025 | 6,111.2 | 4,204.5 | 3,660.7 | 543.8 | 1,906.7 | 1.2% | 0.6% | 0.7% | -0.2% | 2.7% | 736.3 | 8,300 |
Source: Singapore Department of Statistics[45][46]
| Year | Number ('000) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total resident population | Males | Females | Sex ratio (males per 1,000 females) | ||
| 1960 | 1,646.4 | 859.6 | 786.8 | 1,093 | |
| 1965 | 1,886.9 | 973.8 | 913.1 | 1,066 | |
| 1970 | 2,013.6 | 1,030.8 | 982.8 | 1,049 | |
| 1975 | 2,262.6 | 1,156.1 | 1,106.5 | 1,045 | |
| 1980 | 2,282.1 | 1,159.0 | 1,123.1 | 1,032 | |
| 1985 | 2,482.6 | 1,258.5 | 1,224.2 | 1,028 | |
| 1990 | 2,735.9 | 1,386.3 | 1,349.6 | 1,027 | |
| 1995 | 3,013.5 | 1,514.0 | 1,499.5 | 1,010 | |
| 2000 | 3,273.4 | 1,634.7 | 1,638.7 | 998 | |
| 2005 | 3,467.8 | 1,721.1 | 1,746.7 | 985 | |
| 2010 | 3,771.7 | 1,861.1 | 1,910.6 | 974 | |
| 2015 | 3,902.7 | 1,916.6 | 1,986.1 | 965 | |
| 2020 | 4,044.2 | 1,977.6 | 2,066.7 | 957 | |
| 2025 | 4,204.5 | 2,044.6 | 2,159.9 | 947 | |
Source: Singapore Department of Statistics[47][48][4]
| Year | Age group (years) | Median age (years)[49] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–14 | 15–24 | 25–34 | 35–44 | 45–54 | 55–64 | 65 and over | ||
| 1990 | 23.0% | 16.9% | 21.5% | 16.9% | 9.0% | 6.7% | 6.0% | 29.8 |
| 2000 | 21.9% | 12.9% | 17.0% | 19.4% | 14.3% | 7.2% | 7.2% | 34.0 |
| 2005 | 20.1% | 13.0% | 15.6% | 17.9% | 16.2% | 9.1% | 8.1% | 35.8 |
| 2010 | 17.4% | 13.5% | 15.1% | 16.7% | 16.6% | 11.7% | 9.0% | 37.4 |
| 2015 | 15.4% | 13.0% | 14.4% | 15.8% | 15.8% | 13.7% | 11.8% | 39.6 |
| 2020 | 14.5% | 11.4% | 14.5% | 14.8% | 15.0% | 14.6% | 15.2% | 41.5 |
| 2025 | 13.6% | 10.2% | 13.9% | 15.0% | 14.5% | 13.9% | 18.8% | 43.2 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 2,044,630 | 2,159,890 | 4,204,520 | 100 |
| 0–4 | 84,930 | 80,630 | 165,560 | 3.93 |
| 5–9 | 102,130 | 97,690 | 199,820 | 4.75 |
| 10–14 | 105,520 | 101,060 | 206,580 | 4.91 |
| 15–19 | 107,470 | 103,930 | 211,400 | 5.03 |
| 20–24 | 111,090 | 107,600 | 218,690 | 5.20 |
| 25–29 | 132,470 | 131,270 | 263,740 | 6.27 |
| 30–34 | 155,340 | 164,500 | 319,840 | 7.61 |
| 35–39 | 151,850 | 168,270 | 321,120 | 7.61 |
| 40–44 | 146,690 | 165,080 | 311,770 | 7.42 |
| 45–49 | 143,670 | 158,350 | 302,020 | 7.18 |
| 50–54 | 149,690 | 159,290 | 308,980 | 7.35 |
| 55–59 | 141,440 | 148,340 | 289,780 | 6.89 |
| 60–64 | 147,050 | 149,630 | 284 626 | 7.04 |
| 65–69 | 133,510 | 138,910 | 296,680 | 7.06 |
| 70–74 | 103,110 | 111,510 | 214,620 | 5.10 |
| 75–79 | 70,220 | 82,610 | 152,830 | 3.63 |
| 80–84 | 31,640 | 43,170 | 74,810 | 1.78 |
| 85-89 | 18,250 | 29,300 | 47,550 | 1.13 |
| 90+ | 8,570 | 18,790 | 27,360 | 0.65 |
| Age group (years) | Males | Females | Total population | % of total population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–14 | 292,580 | 279,380 | 571,960 | 13.60 |
| 15–64 | 1,386,760 | 1,456,260 | 2,843,020 | 67.62 |
| 65+ | 365,300 | 424,280 | 789,580 | 18.78 |
| Year | Total live-births | Resident live-births | Crude birth rate (per 1,000 residents) | Total fertility rate (per female) | Gross reproduction rate (per female) | Net reproduction rate (per female) | Total deaths | Crude death rate (per 1,000 residents) | Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 resident live-births) | Life expectancy at birth (years) | Life expectancy at birth for males (years) | Life expectancy at birth for females (Years) | Natural growth | Natural change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 45.4 | N.A. | N.A. | N.A. | 12 | 82.2 | ||||||||
| 1955 | 44.3 | N.A. | N.A. | N.A. | 8.1 | 49.5 | ||||||||
| 1960 | 37.5 | 5.76 | 2.78 | 2.54 | 6.2 | 34.9 | ||||||||
| 1965 | 29.5 | 4.66 | 2.27 | 2.08 | 5.4 | 26.3 | ||||||||
| 1970 | 45,934 | N.A. | 22.1 | 3.07 | 1.49 | 1.42 | 10,717 | 5.2 | 20.5 | 65.8 | 64.1 | 67.8 | 35,217 | 16.9 |
| 1975 | 17.7 | 2.07 | 1 | 0.97 | 5.1 | 13.9 | ||||||||
| 1980 | 41,217 | 40,100 | 17.6 | 1.82 | 0.88 | 0.86 | 12,505 | 4.9 | 8 | 72.1 | 69.8 | 74.7 | 28,712 | 12.7 |
| 1985 | 16.6 | 1.61 | 0.78 | 0.76 | 4.9 | 7.6 | ||||||||
| 1990 | 51,142 | 49,787 | 18.2 | 1.83 | 0.88 | 0.87 | 13,891 | 4.7 | 6.6 | 75.3 | 73.1 | 77.6 | 37,251 | 13.5 |
| 1995 | 15.6 | 1.67 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 4.8 | 3.8 | ||||||||
| 2000 | 46,997 | 44,765 | 13.7 | 1.6 | 0.77 | 0.77 | 15,693 | 4.5 | 2.5 | 78 | 76 | 80 | 31,304 | 9.2 |
| 2005 | 10.2 | 1.26 | 0.61 | 0.61 | 4.4 | 2.1 | ||||||||
| 2006 | 10.3 | 1.28 | 0.62 | 0.61 | 4.4 | 2.6 | ||||||||
| 2007 | 10.3 | 1.29 | 0.62 | 0.62 | 4.5 | 2.1 | ||||||||
| 2008 | 39,826 | 10.2 | 1.28 | 0.62 | 0.62 | 17,222 | 4.4 | 2.1 | 22,604 | 5.8 | ||||
| 2009 | 39,570 | 9.9 | 1.22 | 0.59 | 0.59 | 17,101 | 4.3 | 2.2 | 22,469 | 5.6 | ||||
| 2010 | 37,967 | 35,129 | 9.3 | 1.15 | 0.56 | 0.55 | 17,610 | 4.4 | 2 | 81.7 | 79.2 | 84 | 20,357 | 4.9 |
| 2011 | 39,654 | 36,178 | 9.5 | 1.2 | 0.58 | 0.58 | 18,027 | 4.5 | 2 | 82 | 79.5 | 84.1 | 21,627 | 5 |
| 2012 | 42,663 | 10.1 | 1.29 | 0.62 | 0.6 | 18,481 | 4.5 | 1.8 | 82.1 | 79.8 | 84.3 | 24,182 | 5.6 | |
| 2013 | 39,720 | 9.3 | 1.19 | 0.57 | 0.57 | 18,938 | 4.6 | 2 | 82.4 | 80.1 | 84.5 | 18,982 | 4.7 | |
| 2014 | 42,232 | 9.8 | 1.25 | 0.61 | 0.6 | 19,393 | 4.7 | 1.8 | 82.8 | 80.5 | 84.9 | 22,839 | 5.1 | |
| 2015 | 42,185 | 1.24 | 19,862 | 22,323 | ||||||||||
| 2018 | 39,039 | 35,040 | 8.8 | 1.14 | 0.56 | 0.55 | 21,282 | 5 | 2.1 | 83.4 | 81.2 | 85.5 | 17,757 | 3.8 |
| 2019 | 39,279 | 35,330 | 8.8 | 1.14 | 0.56 | 0.56 | 21,446 | 5 | 1.7 | 83.6 | 81.4 | 85.7 | 17,833 | 3.8 |
| 2020 | 38,590 | 34,323 | 8.5 | 1.1 | 0.53 | 0.53 | 22,045 | 5.2 | 1.8 | 83.9 | 81.5 | 86.1 | 16,545 | 3.3 |
Data fromSingapore Department of Statistics,Ministry of Home Affairs:[47][51][52][53][54][55]
Notable events in Singaporean demography:
| Average population | Live births | Deaths | Natural change | Crude birth rate (per 1000) | Crude death rate (per 1000) | Natural change (per 1000) | Crude migration rate (per 1000) | Total fertility rate (TFR) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 228,400 | 11,920 | 8,740 | 3,180 | 52.2 | 38.3 | 13.9 | ||
| 1901 | 232,200 | 12,340 | 8,860 | 3,480 | 53.1 | 38.1 | 15.0 | 1.4 | |
| 1902 | 236,100 | 12,780 | 9,020 | 3,760 | 54.1 | 38.2 | 15.9 | 0.6 | |
| 1903 | 240,100 | 13,220 | 9,210 | 4,010 | 55.1 | 38.3 | 16.7 | -0.1 | |
| 1904 | 244,200 | 13,670 | 9,370 | 4,300 | 56.0 | 38.4 | 17.6 | -0.8 | |
| 1905 | 248,400 | 14,140 | 9,460 | 4,680 | 56.8 | 38.1 | 18.7 | -2.0 | |
| 1906 | 252,700 | 14,630 | 9,540 | 5,090 | 57.9 | 37.8 | 20.1 | -3.2 | |
| 1907 | 257,100 | 15,120 | 9,660 | 5,460 | 58.8 | 37.5 | 21.3 | -4.2 | |
| 1908 | 261,600 | 15,710 | 9,830 | 5,880 | 60.0 | 37.6 | 22.5 | -5.4 | |
| 1909 | 266,200 | 16,320 | 9,990 | 6,330 | 61.3 | 37.5 | 23.8 | -6.6 | |
| 1910 | 270,900 | 16,930 | 10,180 | 6,750 | 62.5 | 37.6 | 24.9 | -7.7 | |
| 1911 | 304,300 | 18,230 | 11,020 | 7,210 | 59.9 | 36.2 | 23.7 | 96.7 | |
| 1912 | 311,600 | 19,040 | 11,240 | 7,800 | 61.1 | 36.1 | 25.0 | -1.6 | |
| 1913 | 319,000 | 19,850 | 11,490 | 8,360 | 62.2 | 36.0 | 26.2 | -3.1 | |
| 1914 | 326,600 | 20,660 | 11,710 | 8,950 | 63.2 | 35.9 | 27.4 | -4.2 | |
| 1915 | 334,300 | 21,480 | 11,930 | 9,550 | 64.3 | 35.7 | 28.6 | -5.7 | |
| 1916 | 342,200 | 22,400 | 12,220 | 10,180 | 65.4 | 35.7 | 29.7 | -6.8 | |
| 1917 | 350,200 | 23,310 | 12,540 | 10,770 | 66.6 | 35.8 | 30.8 | -8.1 | |
| 1918 | 358,400 | 24,320 | 15,960 | 8,360 | 67.9 | 44.5 | 23.3 | -0.5 | |
| 1919 | 366,600 | 24,950 | 12,940 | 12,010 | 68.1 | 35.3 | 32.8 | -10.6 | |
| 1920 | 375,000 | 25,510 | 13,180 | 12,330 | 68.0 | 35.2 | 32.9 | -10.7 | |
| 1921 | 417,900 | 26,900 | 14,080 | 12,820 | 64.4 | 33.7 | 30.7 | 80.2 | |
| 1922 | 427,800 | 27,540 | 14,280 | 13,260 | 64.4 | 33.4 | 31.0 | -8.0 | |
| 1923 | 437,900 | 28,220 | 14,560 | 13,660 | 64.5 | 33.2 | 31.2 | -8.3 | |
| 1924 | 448,200 | 28,940 | 14,820 | 14,120 | 64.5 | 33.1 | 31.5 | -8.7 | |
| 1925 | 458,800 | 29,660 | 15,040 | 14,620 | 64.7 | 32.8 | 31.9 | -9.0 | |
| 1926 | 469,700 | 30,440 | 15,260 | 15,180 | 64.8 | 32.5 | 32.3 | -9.3 | |
| 1927 | 480,900 | 31,230 | 15,520 | 15,710 | 65.0 | 32.3 | 32.7 | -9.6 | |
| 1928 | 492,400 | 32,020 | 15,740 | 16,280 | 65.0 | 32.0 | 33.1 | -9.9 | |
| 1929 | 504,200 | 32,840 | 15,960 | 16,880 | 65.2 | 31.7 | 33.5 | -10.3 | |
| 1930 | 516,400 | 33,680 | 16,180 | 17,500 | 65.2 | 31.3 | 33.9 | -10.5 | |
| 1931 | 516,400 | 25,830 | 15,920 | 9,910 | 50.0 | 30.8 | 19.2 | -19.2 | |
| 1932 | 523,800 | 26,240 | 15,610 | 10,630 | 50.1 | 29.8 | 20.3 | -6.3 | |
| 1933 | 531,200 | 27,160 | 15,530 | 11,630 | 51.1 | 29.2 | 21.9 | -8.1 | |
| 1934 | 538,900 | 28,020 | 15,440 | 12,580 | 52.0 | 28.6 | 23.4 | -9.2 | |
| 1935 | 546,900 | 28,930 | 15,310 | 13,620 | 52.9 | 28.0 | 24.9 | -10.4 | |
| 1936 | 555,100 | 29,820 | 15,240 | 14,580 | 53.7 | 27.5 | 26.2 | -11.7 | |
| 1937 | 563,500 | 30,610 | 15,360 | 15,250 | 54.3 | 27.3 | 27.0 | -12.3 | |
| 1938 | 571,900 | 31,500 | 15,480 | 16,020 | 55.1 | 27.1 | 28.0 | -13.5 | |
| 1939 | 580,400 | 32,460 | 15,660 | 16,800 | 55.9 | 27.0 | 29.0 | -14.5 | |
| 1940 | 588,900 | 33,300 | 16,020 | 17,280 | 56.5 | 27.2 | 29.3 | -15.1 | |
| 1941 | 597,300 | 34,110 | 16,510 | 17,600 | 57.1 | 27.6 | 29.5 | -15.6 | |
| 1942 | |||||||||
| 1943 | |||||||||
| 1944 | |||||||||
| 1945 | |||||||||
| 1946 | 638,000 | 33,600 | 16,200 | 17,400 | 52.7 | 25.4 | 27.3 | ||
| 1947 | 938,000 | 39,600 | 21,400 | 18,200 | 42.2 | 22.8 | 19.4 | 441.7 | |
| 1948 | 967,000 | 41,900 | 20,900 | 21,000 | 43.3 | 21.6 | 21.7 | 8.5 | |
| 1949 | 997,000 | 44,800 | 20,200 | 24,600 | 44.9 | 20.3 | 24.6 | 5.6 | |
| 1950 | 1,028,000 | 47,500 | 19,900 | 27,600 | 46.2 | 19.4 | 26.8 | 3.4 | |
| 1951 | 1,060,000 | 50,900 | 18,600 | 32,300 | 48.0 | 17.5 | 30.5 | -0.3 | |
| 1952 | 1,093,000 | 53,900 | 18,400 | 35,500 | 49.3 | 16.8 | 32.5 | -2.4 | |
| 1953 | 1,128,000 | 56,600 | 18,300 | 38,300 | 50.2 | 16.2 | 34.0 | -3.0 | |
| 1954 | 1,165,000 | 58,900 | 18,400 | 40,500 | 50.6 | 15.8 | 34.8 | -3.1 | |
| 1955 | 1,204,000 | 60,200 | 18,900 | 41,300 | 50.0 | 15.7 | 34.3 | -2.0 | |
| 1956 | 1,243,000 | 61,100 | 19,000 | 42,100 | 49.1 | 15.3 | 33.8 | -2.6 | |
| 1957 | 1,317,000 | 66,800 | 19,200 | 47,600 | 50.7 | 14.6 | 36.1 | 21.2 | |
| 1958 | 1,388,000 | 65,400 | 19,600 | 45,800 | 47.1 | 14.1 | 33.0 | 19.1 | |
| 1959 | 1,463,000 | 64,800 | 20,200 | 44,600 | 44.3 | 13.8 | 30.5 | 21.9 | |
| 1960 | 1,646,400 | 61,775 | 10,210 | 51,565 | 37.5 | 6.2 | 31.3 | 90.1 | 5.76 |
| 1961 | 1,702,400 | 59,930 | 10,027 | 49,903 | 35.2 | 5.9 | 29.3 | 3.6 | 5.41 |
| 1962 | 1,750,200 | 58,977 | 10,178 | 48,799 | 33.7 | 5.8 | 27.9 | -0.6 | 5.21 |
| 1963 | 1,795,000 | 59,530 | 10,138 | 49,392 | 33.2 | 5.6 | 27.5 | -2.6 | 5.16 |
| 1964 | 1,841,600 | 58,217 | 10,434 | 47,783 | 31.6 | 5.7 | 25.9 | -0.6 | 4.97 |
| 1965 | 1,886,900 | 55,725 | 10,263 | 45,462 | 29.5 | 5.4 | 24.1 | -0.1 | 4.66 |
| 1966 | 1,934,400 | 54,680 | 10,444 | 44,236 | 28.3 | 5.4 | 22.9 | 1.7 | 4.46 |
| 1967 | 1,977,600 | 50,560 | 10,523 | 40,037 | 25.6 | 5.3 | 20.2 | 1.6 | 3.91 |
| 1968 | 2,012,000 | 47,241 | 10,982 | 36,259 | 23.5 | 5.5 | 18.0 | -0.9 | 3.53 |
| 1969 | 2,042,500 | 44,562 | 10,224 | 34,338 | 21.8 | 5.0 | 16.8 | -1.9 | 3.22 |
| 1970 | 2,074,507 | 45,934 | 10,717 | 35,217 | 22.1 | 5.2 | 17.0 | -1.5 | 3.07 |
| 1971 | 2,122,900 | 47,088 | 11,329 | 35,759 | 22.3 | 5.4 | 16.8 | 6.0 | 3.02 |
| 1972 | 2,152,400 | 49,678 | 11,522 | 38,156 | 23.1 | 5.4 | 17.7 | -4.0 | 3.04 |
| 1973 | 2,193,000 | 48,269 | 11,920 | 36,349 | 22.0 | 5.4 | 16.6 | 1.9 | 2.79 |
| 1974 | 2,229,800 | 43,268 | 11,674 | 31,594 | 19.4 | 5.2 | 14.2 | 2.3 | 2.35 |
| 1975 | 2,262,600 | 39,948 | 11,447 | 28,501 | 17.7 | 5.1 | 12.6 | 1.9 | 2.07 |
| 1976 | 2,293,300 | 42,783 | 11,648 | 31,135 | 18.7 | 5.1 | 13.6 | -0.2 | 2.11 |
| 1977 | 2,325,300 | 38,364 | 11,955 | 26,409 | 16.5 | 5.1 | 11.4 | 2.4 | 1.82 |
| 1978 | 2,353,600 | 39,441 | 12,065 | 27,376 | 16.8 | 5.1 | 11.6 | 0.4 | 1.79 |
| 1979 | 2,383,500 | 40,779 | 12,468 | 28,311 | 17.1 | 5.2 | 11.9 | 0.7 | 1.79 |
| 1980 | 2,413,945 | 41,217 | 12,505 | 28,712 | 17.6 | 4.9 | 11.9 | 0.7 | 1.82 |
| 1981 | 2,532,835 | 42,250 | 12,863 | 29,387 | 17.6 | 4.9 | 11.6 | 48.6 | 1.78 |
| 1982 | 2,646,466 | 42,654 | 12,896 | 29,758 | 17.5 | 4.9 | 11.2 | 14.2 | 1.74 |
| 1983 | 2,681,061 | 40,585 | 13,321 | 27,264 | 16.3 | 5.0 | 10.2 | 9.2 | 1.61 |
| 1984 | 2,732,221 | 41,556 | 13,162 | 28,394 | 16.5 | 4.8 | 10.4 | 2.5 | 1.62 |
| 1985 | 2,735,957 | 42,484 | 13,348 | 29,136 | 16.6 | 4.9 | 10.6 | -11.4 | 1.61 |
| 1986 | 2,733,373 | 38,379 | 12,821 | 25,558 | 14.8 | 4.6 | 9.4 | 5.9 | 1.43 |
| 1987 | 2,774,789 | 43,616 | 13,173 | 30,443 | 16.6 | 4.7 | 11.0 | 1.9 | 1.62 |
| 1988 | 2,846,108 | 52,957 | 13,690 | 39,267 | 19.8 | 4.9 | 13.8 | 2.2 | 1.96 |
| 1989 | 2,930,901 | 47,669 | 14,069 | 33,600 | 17.5 | 4.9 | 11.5 | 2.3 | 1.75 |
| 1990 | 3,047,132 | 51,142 | 13,891 | 37,251 | 18.2 | 4.7 | 12.2 | 4.2 | 1.83 |
| 1991 | 3,135,083 | 49,114 | 13,876 | 35,238 | 17.1 | 4.6 | 11.2 | 7.0 | 1.73 |
| 1992 | 3,230,698 | 49,402 | 14,337 | 35,065 | 16.8 | 4.7 | 10.9 | 4.7 | 1.72 |
| 1993 | 3,313,471 | 50,225 | 14,461 | 35,764 | 16.8 | 4.6 | 10.8 | 2.1 | 1.74 |
| 1994 | 3,419,048 | 49,554 | 14,946 | 34,608 | 16.2 | 4.7 | 10.1 | 2.1 | 1.71 |
| 1995 | 3,524,506 | 48,635 | 15,569 | 33,066 | 15.6 | 4.8 | 9.4 | 2.3 | 1.67 |
| 1996 | 3,670,704 | 48,577 | 15,590 | 32,987 | 15.2 | 4.7 | 9.0 | 3.1 | 1.66 |
| 1997 | 3,796,038 | 47,333 | 15,305 | 32,028 | 14.5 | 4.5 | 8.4 | 3.0 | 1.61 |
| 1998 | 3,927,213 | 43,664 | 15,657 | 28,007 | 13.1 | 4.6 | 7.1 | 3.1 | 1.48 |
| 1999 | 3,958,723 | 43,336 | 15,516 | 27,820 | 12.8 | 4.5 | 7.0 | 1.4 | 1.47 |
| 2000 | 4,027,887 | 46,997 | 15,693 | 31,304 | 13.7 | 4.5 | 7.8 | 4.2 | 1.60 |
| 2001 | 4,138,012 | 41,451 | 15,367 | 26,084 | 11.8 | 4.3 | 6.3 | 20.3 | 1.41 |
| 2002 | 4,175,950 | 40,760 | 15,820 | 24,940 | 11.4 | 4.4 | 6.0 | -2.3 | 1.37 |
| 2003 | 4,114,826 | 37,485 | 16,036 | 21,449 | 10.5 | 4.5 | 5.2 | 2.5 | 1.27 |
| 2004 | 4,166,664 | 37,174 | 15,860 | 21,314 | 10.3 | 4.4 | 5.1 | 2.5 | 1.26 |
| 2005 | 4,265,762 | 37,492 | 16,215 | 21,277 | 10.2 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 4.8 | 1.26 |
| 2006 | 4,401,365 | 38,317 | 16,393 | 21,924 | 10.3 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 7.2 | 1.28 |
| 2007 | 4,588,599 | 39,490 | 17,140 | 22,350 | 10.3 | 4.5 | 4.9 | 8.2 | 1.29 |
| 2008 | 4,839,396 | 39,826 | 17,222 | 22,604 | 10.2 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 8.2 | 1.28 |
| 2009 | 4,987,573 | 39,570 | 17,101 | 22,469 | 9.9 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 2.7 | 1.22 |
| 2010 | 5,076,732 | 37,967 | 17,610 | 20,357 | 9.3 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 1.15 |
| 2011 | 5,183,688 | 39,654 | 18,027 | 21,627 | 9.5 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 5.2 | 1.20 |
| 2012 | 5,312,437 | 42,663 | 18,481 | 24,182 | 10.1 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.9 | 1.29 |
| 2013 | 5,399,162 | 39,720 | 18,938 | 20,782 | 9.3 | 4.6 | 3.8 | 2.9 | 1.19 |
| 2014 | 5,469,724 | 42,232 | 19,393 | 22,839 | 9.8 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 2.6 | 1.25 |
| 2015 | 5,535,002 | 42,185 | 19,862 | 22,323 | 9.7 | 4.8 | 4.0 | 9.0 | 1.24 |
| 2016 | 5,607,283 | 41,251 | 20,017 | 21,234 | 9.4 | 4.8 | 3.8 | -2.9 | 1.20 |
| 2017 | 5,612,253 | 39,615 | 20,905 | 18,710 | 8.9 | 5.0 | 3.3 | 1.4 | 1.16 |
| 2018 | 5,638,676 | 39,039 | 21,282 | 17,757 | 8.8 | 5.0 | 3.1 | 8.4 | 1.14 |
| 2019 | 5,703,569 | 39,279 | 21,446 | 17,833 | 8.8 | 5.0 | 3.1 | -6.2 | 1.14 |
| 2020 | 5,685,807 | 38,590 | 22,054 | 16,536 | 8.5 | 5.2 | 2.9 | -43.8 | 1.10 |
| 2021 | 5,453,566 | 38,672 | 24,292 | 14,380 | 8.6 | 5.8 | 2.6 | 31.0 | 1.12 |
| 2022 | 5,637,022 | 35,605 | 26,891 | 8,714 | 7.9 | 6.3 | 1.5 | 48.2 | 1.04 |
| 2023 | 5,917,648 | 33,541 | 26,888 | 6,653 | 7.4 | 6.2 | 1.1 | 19.0 | 0.97 |
| 2024 | 6,036,860 | 33,703 | 26,442 | 7,261 | 7.4 | 6.0 | 1.2 | 18.6 | 0.97 |
| Period | Live births | Deaths | Natural increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| January - September 2024 | 25,052 | 19,905 | 5,147 |
| January - September 2025 | 22,493 | 19,748 | 2,745 |
| Difference | -2,559 (-10.21%) |  -157 (-0.79%) | -2,402 |
| Source:[56][57] | |||
| Rank | Name | Region | Pop. | Rank | Name | Region | Pop. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tampines | East | 290,090 | 11 | Ang Mo Kio | North-East | 158,720 | ||
| 2 | Bedok | East | 274,360 | 12 | Bukit Merah | Central | 146,200 | ||
| 3 | Sengkang | North-East | 267,600 | 13 | Pasir Ris | East | 144,260 | ||
| 4 | Woodlands | North | 254,440 | 14 | Toa Payoh | Central | 142,220 | ||
| 5 | Jurong West | West | 253,840 | 15 | Bukit Panjang | West | 136,360 | ||
| 6 | Yishun | North | 228,730 | 16 | Geylang | Central | 117,640 | ||
| 7 | Hougang | North-East | 227,220 | 17 | Serangoon | North-East | 116,630 | ||
| 8 | Punggol | North-East | 204,150 | 18 | Sembawang | North | 113,350 | ||
| 9 | Choa Chu Kang | West | 187,550 | 19 | Clementi | West | 104,240 | ||
| 10 | Bukit Batok | West | 165,830 | 20 | Kallang | Central | 101,720 | ||
In the post-independence period after 1965, Singapore's population has been broadly classified into four main groups:Chinese,Malays,Indians and Others, a category that consists largely ofEurasians. These groups collectively shape the country's contemporary cultural and social landscape, influencing its cuisine, languages, religions and traditions that are regarded as distinctive to Singapore. The CMIO framework was first proposed in 1956 duringBritish colonial rule as a way to structure theeducation system aroundfour designated national languages.[58]
Although immigration was a major driver of population growth in Singapore during the colonial period, by the mid-20th century growth became dominated by native births and accelerated followingWorld War II. AfterSingapore's separation from Malaysia in 1965, the free movement of people between the two countries ended, and net immigration fell to a low of 24,000 in the decade from 1970 to 1980 due to tighter immigration controls by the Singaporean government.[17] Meanwhile, fertility among the Chinese population declined sharply after the post-war boom, while fertility among the Malay population remained relatively high. As a result, the Malay share of the population increased to 14.5% in the late-1960s, reversing a long period of decline during the British colonial period.[22]
From the 1980s onwards, the government's immigration policy shifted, leading to a sharp increase in the number of immigrants, which once again became an important driver of population growth in Singapore. By the period from 1990 to 2000, immigration had overtaken natural population growth, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the decadal increase with 640,571 net migrants, including non-residents.[17] While the racial composition of citizens has remained relatively constant over the decades, slight shifts are observed in the figures for residents (citizens plus permanent residents). A smaller proportion of immigrants were Malays, resulting in a decline in the percentage of Malays among the resident population. By contrast, the proportion of Indian residents rose to 9.2% in 2010, an increase from 7.4% among citizens alone, largely due to the inflow of migrant workers fromSouth Asia particularly in the construction sector.[59]
The population profile of Singapore changed significantly after the relaxation of immigration policy from the 1980s, with a sharp increase in the number of transient foreigners. Official figures show that the number of non-residents grew from 30,900 in 1970 to 1,641,600 in 2020, representing about a 53-fold increase over 50 years. Their share of the total population rose from 2.9% in 1970 to 28.9% in 2020. Despite this, no further breakdown of the non-resident population (such as by ethnic origin) is publicly provided by Singstat. It is widely assumed that this group comprises individuals from a broad range of countries who generally do not fit into the CMIO classification, which may explain the lack of detailed categorisation. By the mid-2020s, it was estimated that more than 40% of Singapore's total population were of foreign origin, being both permanent residents and non-residents, including foreign workers, students and their dependants, among others.
| 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-residents (Residents = Citizens + PRs) | 2.9% | 5.5% | 10.2% | 18.7% | 25.7% | 28.9% |
| Chinese | Malays | Indians | Others | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970[60] | 77.0% | 14.8% | 7.0% | 1.2% |
| 1980[60] | 78.3% | 14.4% | 6.3% | 1.0% |
| 1990[47] | 77.8% | 14.0% | 7.1% | 1.1% |
| 2000[47] | 76.8% | 13.9% | 7.9% | 1.4% |
| 2010[47] | 74.1% | 13.4% | 9.2% | 3.3% |
| 2020[9] | 74.3% | 13.5% | 9.0% | 3.2% |
| Group | Population |
|---|---|
| Hokkien | 1,180,599 |
| Teochew | 583,963 |
| Cantonese | 429,329 |
| Hakka | 259,153 |
| Hainanese | 183,312 |
| Foochow | 59,609 |
| Henghua | 26,702 |
| Shanghainese | 22,503 |
| Hockchia | 17,070 |
| Other Chinese | 244,529 |
| Total | 3,006,769 |
| Group | Population |
|---|---|
| Malay | 370,445 |
| Javanese/Boyanese | 154,869 |
| Other Malays | 20,184 |
| Total | 545,498 |
| Group | Population |
|---|---|
| Tamil | 198,449 |
| Malayali | 26,693 |
| Hindi | 18,618 |
| Sikh | 12,589 |
| Other Indians | 105,925 |
| Total | 362,274 |
| Group | Population |
|---|---|
| Filipino | 30,893 |
| White | 29,981 |
| Eurasian | 18,060 |
| Burmese | 11,899 |
| Arab | 9,028 |
| Thai | 7,036 |
| Others | 22,772 |
| Year | Chinese | Malays | Indians | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 1.73 | 2.20 | 2.03 | 1.82 |
| 1990 | 1.65 | 2.69 | 1.89 | 1.83 |
| 2000 | 1.43 | 2.54 | 1.59 | 1.60 |
| 2010 | 1.02 | 1.65 | 1.13 | 1.15 |
| 2020 | 0.94 | 1.82 | 0.96 | 1.1 |
Singapore, following its founding as a Britishfree port byStamford Raffles in the 19th century, did not have a sizeable native population as the population became dominated by three main groups ofimmigrants.[22][64][65] When Raffles arrived in Singapore in January 1819, Singapore had approximately 120 Malays, 30 Chinese and some native tribes (Orang Laut) under the rule of theTemenggung.[66] Around 100 of the Malays had originally moved to Singapore from the mainland (Johor) in 1811, led by the Temenggung. Other estimates place the then population of Singapore at 1,000, belonging to various local tribes.[18] Early census figures show a long influx of migrant workers into the country, initially consisting mostly of Malays, but shortly thereafter followed by the Chinese. By 1821, the population was estimated to have increased to 4,724 Malays and 1,150 Chinese.[66]
In the first census of 1824, 6,505 out of the 10,683 total were Malays and Bugis, constituting over 60% of the population. Large number of Chinese migrants started to enter Singapore just months after it became a British settlement, and they were predominantly male. In 1826, official census figures give a total population of 13,750, with 6,088 Chinese, 4,790 Malays, 1,242Bugis, 1,021 Indians fromBengal (244) and theCoromandel Coast (777), smaller number ofJavanese (267), Europeans (87) and other peoples.[20] The population total of Singapore increased to 16,000 in 1829, 26,000 five years later. By 1836, the Chinese at 13,749 had become the most populous ethnic group, overtaking the broad Malay grouping (12,538, including other groups such as the Bugis, Javanese, and Balinese from the Dutch East Indies).[67] By 1849, the population had reached 59,043, 24,790 of them Chinese.[68]
Many of the migrants from China in the 19th century came to work on the pepper andgambier plantations, with 11,000 Chinese immigrants recorded in one year.[69] Singapore became one of the entry and dispersal points for large number of Chinese and Indian migrants who came to work in the plantations and mines of the Straits Settlements, many of whom then settled in Singapore after their contract ended. By 1860, the total population had reached around 90,000, of these 50,000 were Chinese, and 2,445 Europeans and Eurasians. The first thorough census in Singapore was undertaken in 1871, and the people were grouped into 33 racial, ethnic or national categories, with Chinese forming the largest group at 57.6%.[70]
Censuses were then conducted at 10-year intervals afterwards. The 1881 census grouped the people into 6 main categories, and further subdivided into 47 sub-categories. The 6 broad groups were given as Europeans, Eurasians, Malays, Chinese, Indians and Others in 1921.[58] The Malays group included other natives of the Malay archipelago, the Europeans included Americans, the Indians would be people from theIndian subcontinent including what are nowPakistan andBangladesh. In 1901, the total population of Singapore was 228,555,[69] with 15.8% Malays, 71.8% Chinese, 7.8% Indians, and 3.5% Europeans and Eurasians. The Chinese population figure of Singapore has stayed at over 70% of the total since, reaching 77.8% in 1947. After dropping from a peak of 60% in the early years of Singapore, the Malay population settled within the range of 11 and 16% in the first half of the 20th century, while Indians hovered between 7 and just over 9% in the same period.[67]
| Ethnic group | PopulationA | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1824[71] | 1826[20] | 1836[21] | 1871[72] | 1901[72] | 1931[72][73] | 1957[74] | |
| Europeans | 74 | 87 | 141 | 1,946 | 3,824 | 8,082 | 10,826 |
| Eurasians | 117 | 2,164 | 4,120 | 6,903 | 11,382 | ||
| Native ChristiansB | 188 | 421 | |||||
| Armenians | 16 | 19 | 34 | (81) | |||
| Arabs | 15 | 26 | 41 | ||||
| MalaysC | 4,580 | 4,790 | 9,632 | 26,148 | 36,080 | 65,014 | 197,059 |
| Bugis | 1,925 | 1,242 | 1,962D | ||||
| Javanese | 267 | 903 | |||||
| Chinese | 3,317 | 6,088 | 13,749 | 54,572 | 164,041 | 418,640 | 1,090,596 |
| Indians | 756 | 1,021 | 2,930 | 11,610 | 17,824 | 50,811 | 124,084 |
| OthersE | 12 | 50 | 671 | 2,667 | 8,275 | 11,982 | |
| Total | 10,683 | 13,750 | 29,980 | 97,111 | 228,555 | 557,745 | 1,445,929 |
| Ethnic group | 1824–1830 | 1849–1860 | 1881–1891 | 1901–1911 | 1931–1947 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 12.0% | 5.4% | 3.5% | 3.0% | 3.5% |
| Malays | 2.9% | 5.2% | 0.1% | 1.5% | 3.6% |
| Indians | 6.7% | 6.8% | 2.9% | 5.0% | 1.9% |
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| Languages | percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | 48.3% | |||
| Mandarin Chinese | 29.9% | |||
| Malay | 9.2% | |||
| Chinese dialects | 8.7% | |||
| Tamil | 2.5% | |||
| Others | 1.4% | |||
Singapore has fourofficial languages:English,Malay,Mandarin andTamil.
Malay is the national language of the country, although English is the official language used in theeducational system and by the government. The colloquial English-based creole used in everyday life is often referred to asSinglish, spoken by all races of Singapore.
The government of Singapore promotes the use of Mandarin. The use of otherChinese varieties, likeHokkien,Teochew,Cantonese andHakka, has been declining over the last two decades, although they are still being used especially by the older generations of the Chinese population.
About 60% ofIndian Singaporeans are Tamils although the percentage of those who speakTamil at home has been declining, with around 37% of Singaporean Indians speaking Tamil at home according to the 2010 census.[76] Other spokenIndian languages arePunjabi,Malayalam,Hindi andBengali, but none of them alone is spoken by more than 10% of the Indian Singaporeans. As with Chinese Singaporeans, a large proportion of Indian Singaporeans speak English at home.[77]
Around 5,000 to 10,000Peranakans, the early Chinese population of the region, still use the Hokkien-influencedMalay dialect calledBaba Malay.
| Year | English | Mandarin Chinese | Malay | Chinese dialects | Tamil | Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 11.6% | 10.2% | 13.9% | 59.5% | 3.1% | 1.7% |
| 1990 | 20.3% | 26.0% | 13.4% | 36.7% | 2.9% | 0.7% |
| 2000 | 23.0% | 35.0% | 14.1% | 23.8% | 3.2% | 0.9% |
| 2010 | 32.3% | 35.6% | 12.2% | 14.3% | 3.3% | 2.3% |
| 2020 | 48.3% | 29.9% | 9.2% | 8.7% | 2.5% | 1.4% |
The main religions of Singapore areChinese folk religion,Buddhism,Taoism,Confucianism,Christianity,Judaism,Islam,Hinduism, andSikhism, with a significant number who profess no religion.[81][82]
Singapore has freedom of religion, although the government restricts some religions such asJehovah's Witnesses, due to their opposition to conscription. The majority of Malays areMuslim, while the plurality of Chinese practise Buddhism and syncretic Chinese folk traditions.Christianity is growing in the country.Taoism was overtaken as the second-most prominent religion in the 2000 census among the Chinese as more have increasingly described themselves as Buddhists rather than Taoist.[82] Indians are mostlyHindus, though many areMuslims,Sikhs, andChristians. People who practise no religion form the second largest group in Singapore.[83]
 | This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(October 2025) |
| 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of marriages (excluding previously married) | 24,596 | 26,081 | 24,363 | 27,258 | 27,936 | 26,254 | 28,407 | |||
| Number of divorces (not including divorces under Muslim law) | 5,170 | 5,416 | 5,433 | 5,696 | 5,306 | 5,471 | 5,172 | 5,450 | 5,505 | 5,570 |
| Median age of first marriage (years) | ||||||||||
| ...Grooms | 29.8 | 29.8 | 30.0 | 30.1 | 30.1 | 30.1 | 30.2 | |||
| ...Brides | 27.3 | 27.5 | 27.7 | 28.0 | 28.0 | 28.1 | 28.2 | |||
| General marriage rate | ||||||||||
| ...Males (per 1,000 unmarried resident males aged 15 to 49) | 43.5 | 43.4 | 39.3 | 43.5 | 43.8 | 40.5 | 44.4 | |||
| ...Females (per 1,000 unmarried resident females aged 15 to 49) | 39.6 | 38.9 | 35.3 | 39.2 | 39.4 | 36.9 | 40.8 | |||
| Median age at divorce (years) | ||||||||||
| ...Grooms | 39.9 | 40.5 | 41.0 | 41.3 | 41.6 | 42.4 | 42.6 | |||
| ...Brides | 36.3 | 36.9 | 37.4 | 37.7 | 38.0 | 38.2 | 38.4 | |||
| General divorce rate | ||||||||||
| ...Males (per 1,000 married resident males aged 20 years and over) | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.6 | 7.1 | 7.3 | 7.0 | |||
| ...Females (per 1,000 married resident females aged 20 years and over) | 7.3 | 7.1 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 6.7 | 6.9 | 6.5 | |||
| Crude marriage rate (per 1,000 resident population) | 6.7 | |||||||||
| Crude rate of marital dissolution (per 1,000 resident population) | 2.0 | |||||||||
| Year | Total | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 52.6% | 70.3% | 32.8% |
| 1970 | 68.9% | 83.0% | 54.3% |
| 1980 | 82.3% | 91.4% | 73.1% |
| 1990 | 89.1% | 95.1% | 83.0% |
| 2000 | 92.5% | 96.6% | 88.6% |
| 2010 | 95.9% | 98.0% | 93.8% |
| 2020 | 97.1% | 98.5% | 95.8% |
| Year | Below secondary | Secondary | Post-secondary (non-tertiary) | Diploma or professional qualification | University |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 46.9% | 24.1% | 6.6% | 8.9% | 13.6% |
| 2011 | 33.4% | 19.6% | 8.9% | 13.6% | 24.5% |
| 2020 | 25.5% | 16.3% | 10.0% | 15.3% | 33.0% |
Among residents aged 25–39 years, the percentage of university graduates increased from 23.7% in 2001 to 45.9% in 2011 while that who had attained a diploma or professional qualification increased from 15.9% to 22.9% over the same period.[47]
| This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(October 2025) |
In 2005, the unemployment rate for persons aged 15 years and over was 2.5%, the lowest in the last four years, with a labour force of 2.3 million people.[86][87][88]
| Year | Employmentchange | Employment in December 2012 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | ||
| Total | −22.9 | −12.9 | 71.4 | 113.3 | 176.0 | 234.9 | 221.6 | 37.6 | 115.9 | 122.6 | 129.1 | 3,357.6 |
| Total (excluding foreign domestic workers) | −23.6 | −11.7 | 66.4 | 105.5 | 168.0 | 223.5 | 213.4 | 32.9 | 110.6 | 117.7 | 125.8 | 3,148.0 |
| Locals | 19.4 | 14.9 | 49.9 | 63.5 | 90.9 | 90.4 | 64.7 | 41.8 | 56.2 | 37.9 | 58.7 | 2,089.3 |
| Foreigners | −42.3 | −27.9 | 21.5 | 49.8 | 85.1 | 144.5 | 156.9 | −4.2 | 59.7 | 84.8 | 70.4 | 1,268.3 |
| Foreigners (excluding foreign domestic workers) | −43.0 | −26.6 | 16.5 | 42.0 | 77.1 | 133.1 | 148.7 | −8.9 | 54.4 | 79.8 | 67.1 | 1,058.7 |
| Year | Overall | Residents | Singapore citizens |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 3.6% | 4.8% | 5.1% |
| 2003 | 4.0% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| 2004 | 3.4% | 4.4% | 4.8% |
| 2005 | 3.1% | 4.1% | 4.4% |
| 2006 | 2.7% | 3.6% | 3.7% |
| 2007 | 2.1% | 3.0% | 3.1% |
| 2008 | 2.2% | 3.2% | 3.4% |
| 2009 | 3.0% | 4.3% | 4.5% |
| 2010 | 2.2% | 3.1% | 3.4% |
| 2011 | 2.0% | 2.9% | 3.0% |
| 2012 | 2.0% | 2.8% | 3.0% |
| 2013 | 2.0% | ||
| 2014 | 2.0% |
The average household monthly income wasSGD 4,943 in 2000, which was an increase of $3,080 in 1990 at an average annual rate of 4.9%. The average household income experienced a drop of 2.7% in 1999 due to economic slowdown. Measured in 1990 dollars, the average household monthly income rose from SGD$3,080 in 1990 to SGD$4,170 in 2000 at an average annual rate of 3.1%.[91]
| Year | 1990 | 1995 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2010 | 2011 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average income | 3,076 | 4,107 | 4,745 | 4,822 | 4,691 | 4,943 | 8,726 | 9,618 | 11,589 |
| Median income | 2,296 | 3,135 | 3,617 | 3,692 | 3,500 | 3,607 | 5,600 | 6,307 | 8,846 |
| Ethnic group | Average household income | Median household income | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2000 | 2010[93] | 1990 | 2000 | 2010[93] | 2020 | |
| Total | 3,076 | 4,943 | 7,214 | 2,296 | 3,607 | 5,000 | 7,744 |
| Chinese | 3,213 | 5,219 | 7,326 | 2,400 | 3,848 | 5,100 | 7,792 |
| Malays | 2,246 | 3,148 | 4,575 | 1,880 | 2,708 | 3,844 | 5,704 |
| Indians | 2,859 | 4,556 | 7,664 | 2,174 | 3,387 | 5,370 | 8,500 |
| Others | 3,885 | 7,250 | 2,782 | 4,775 | |||
| Year | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No working person | 8.6 | 6.9 | 9 | 9.7 | 9.8 | 10 | 9 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 9.6 | 10.5 | 9.3 | 9.2 | 9.4 | 10.4 | 9.7 | 10.8 | 11.8 | 12.1 | 13.2 |
| Retiree households | 2.6 | 2.3 | 3 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 4 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 5.7 | 5.3 | 6.1 | 6.9 | 7.1 | 7.9 |
| Below $1,000 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 4 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 3 | 2.7 | 2.3 | 2 | 2 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.8 |
| $1,000–$1,999 | 12.2 | 11.1 | 11.5 | 11.1 | 11.4 | 10.9 | 10.5 | 9.8 | 8.3 | 7.8 | 7 | 6.5 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 5.9 | 5.7 | 5.5 | 5.4 | 5.3 | 5.1 |
| $2,000–$2,999 | 13.2 | 12.7 | 12.5 | 11.9 | 12.2 | 11.4 | 11.2 | 10 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 8.2 | 7.1 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.4 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 4.9 |
| $3,000–$3,999 | 12.6 | 11.5 | 11.6 | 11.7 | 11.4 | 10.7 | 10.8 | 9.7 | 8.5 | 8.9 | 8.3 | 7.6 | 6.6 | 6.7 | 6 | 5.5 | 5.3 | 5.5 | 5.2 | 5.2 |
| $4,000–$4,999 | 10.2 | 9.8 | 9.5 | 9.4 | 9.6 | 9.1 | 8.9 | 8.8 | 8.4 | 8.1 | 7.9 | 7.2 | 7 | 6.3 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.4 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.4 |
| $5,000–$5,999 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.1 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 8.1 | 7.7 | 7.3 | 7.5 | 7.4 | 7 | 6.8 | 6.4 | 6.1 | 5.7 | 5.9 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 4.9 |
| $6,000–$6,999 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.4 | 6.9 | 6.3 | 6.4 | 6.9 | 6.8 | 6.4 | 6.9 | 6.7 | 6.5 | 6.1 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 4.9 |
| $7,000–$7,999 | 5.1 | 5.3 | 5.1 | 4.9 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 5.3 | 5.7 | 5.9 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 6 | 5.8 | 5.6 | 5.4 | 5.3 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| $8,000–$8,999 | 4 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.3 | 4.9 | 5 | 4.7 | 4.6 |
| $9,000–$9,999 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 4.1 |
| $10,000–$10,999 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.2 |
| $11,000–$11,999 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 3 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.8 |
| $12,000–$12,999 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.4 |
| $13,000–$13,999 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 2 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3.2 | 3 |
| $14,000–$14,999 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 2.8 |
| $15,000–$17,499 | 1.6 | 2 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 2 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 5.2 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 5.8 | 5.4 |
| $17,500–$19,999 | 1 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.1 |
| $20,000 and over | 2.4 | 3.2 | 2.8 | 3 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 6.4 | 5.7 | 6.6 | 8 | 9.2 | 9.9 | 11 | 12.1 | 12.4 | 13.3 | 13.5 | 14.4 |
| Year | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No working person | 8.6 | 6.9 | 9 | 9.7 | 9.8 | 10 | 9 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 9.6 | 10.5 | 9.3 | 9.2 | 9.4 | 10.4 | 9.7 | 10.8 | 11.8 | 12.1 | 13.2 |
| Retiree households | 2.6 | 2.3 | 3 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 4 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 5.7 | 5.3 | 6.1 | 6.9 | 7.1 | 7.9 |
| Below $1,000 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 5.2 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.7 | 4 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2 | 2 |
| $1,000–$1,999 | 13.8 | 13.3 | 13.6 | 13 | 12.9 | 12.3 | 11.9 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 9 | 8.2 | 7.5 | 7 | 7.2 | 6.7 | 6.6 | 6.4 | 6.2 | 6.1 | 5.9 |
| $2,000–$2,999 | 14.7 | 14.2 | 14.1 | 13.9 | 13.6 | 12.7 | 12.4 | 11.2 | 9.8 | 9.9 | 9.3 | 8.3 | 7.3 | 7.2 | 6.7 | 6.5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5.5 |
| $3,000–$3,999 | 13.1 | 12.6 | 12.4 | 12.2 | 12.2 | 11.5 | 11.3 | 10.6 | 9.7 | 9.9 | 9.3 | 8.3 | 7.7 | 7.4 | 7 | 6.7 | 6.4 | 6.2 | 6 | 6.2 |
| $4,000–$4,999 | 10.3 | 10 | 9.8 | 9.7 | 9.8 | 9.4 | 9.5 | 9.2 | 8.9 | 8.5 | 8.6 | 8.2 | 8 | 7.4 | 6.8 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.1 | 6.3 | 5.8 |
| $5,000–$5,999 | 8.2 | 8.3 | 7.9 | 8.2 | 7.8 | 7.9 | 8.2 | 7.9 | 7.6 | 8.2 | 7.8 | 7.5 | 7.3 | 6.9 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.3 | 6 | 6 |
| $6,000–$6,999 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.1 | 6 | 6 | 6.3 | 6.4 | 6.7 | 6.4 | 6.7 | 6.6 | 6.7 | 6.4 | 6.3 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6 | 5.8 | 5.5 | 5.4 |
| $7,000–$7,999 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 5 | 4.9 | 5.3 | 5.9 | 5.2 | 5.6 | 6 | 5.9 | 5.8 | 5.7 | 5.9 | 5.6 | 5.7 | 5 | 5 |
| $8,000–$8,999 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5 | 5.2 | 5 | 5.3 | 5 | 5.2 | 4.6 |
| $9,000–$9,999 | 2.6 | 3 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 3 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.5 |
| $10,000–$10,999 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 3 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.2 |
| $11,000–$11,999 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.5 |
| $12,000–$12,999 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 2 | 2 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 3 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3 | 3 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
| $13,000–$13,999 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 1 | 1.1 | 1 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.6 |
| $14,000–$14,999 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.4 |
| $15,000–$17,499 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 4.9 | 5.1 | 4.8 |
| $17,500–$19,999 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.5 |
| $20,000 and over | 2 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 5.5 | 4.9 | 5.7 | 6.8 | 7.7 | 8.3 | 9.2 | 10.1 | 9.9 | 10.7 | 11.1 | 11.7 |
With the recovery from the 1998 economic slowdown, household income growth had resumed for the majority of households in 2000. However, for the lowest two deciles, the average household income in 2000 had declined compared with 1999. This was mainly due to the increase in the proportion of households with noincome earner from 75% in 1999 to 87% in 2000 for the lowest 10%. Households with no income earner include those with retired elderly persons as well as unemployed members.[95]
| Decile | Average monthly household income(SGD) | Nominal annual change (%) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | |
| Total | 5,947 | 6,417 | 6,229 | 6,276 | 6,285 | 6,593 | 6,792 | 7,431 | 8,414 | 8,195 | 8,726 | 9,618 | 10,348 | 10,469 | 11,143 | 7.9 | −2.9 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 4.9 | 3.0 | 9.4 | 13.2 | −2.6 | 6.5 | 10.2 | 7.6 | 1.2 | 6.4 |
| 1st – 10th | 1,382 | 1,331 | 1,266 | 1,223 | 1,232 | 1,257 | 1,258 | 1,321 | 1,399 | 1,361 | 1,497 | 1,581 | 1,644 | 1,711 | 1,775 | −3.7 | −4.9 | −3.4 | 0.7 | 2.0 | 0.1 | 5.0 | 5.9 | −2.7 | 10.0 | 5.6 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 3.7 |
| 11th – 20th | 2,241 | 2,275 | 2,180 | 2,164 | 2,199 | 2,257 | 2,305 | 2,418 | 2,700 | 2,696 | 2,940 | 3,135 | 3,302 | 3,372 | 3,641 | 1.5 | −4.2 | −0.7 | 1.6 | 2.6 | 2.1 | 4.9 | 11.7 | −0.1 | 9.1 | 6.6 | 5.3 | 2.1 | 8.0 |
| 21st – 30th | 2,986 | 3,043 | 2,944 | 2,984 | 2,988 | 3,116 | 3,182 | 3,379 | 3,831 | 3,787 | 4,158 | 4,421 | 4,782 | 4,993 | 5,226 | 1.9 | −3.3 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 4.3 | 2.1 | 6.2 | 13.4 | −1.1 | 9.8 | 6.3 | 8.2 | 4.4 | 4.7 |
| 31st – 40th | 3,683 | 3,867 | 3,722 | 3,746 | 3,786 | 4,020 | 4,038 | 4,335 | 4,906 | 4,978 | 5,418 | 5,794 | 6,183 | 6,376 | 6,863 | 5.0 | −3.7 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 6.2 | 0.4 | 7.4 | 13.2 | 1.5 | 8.8 | 6.9 | 6.7 | 3.1 | 7.6 |
| 41st – 50th | 4,505 | 4,680 | 4,572 | 4,637 | 4,648 | 4,859 | 4,971 | 5,358 | 6,055 | 5,980 | 6,603 | 7,032 | 7,608 | 7,993 | 8,303 | 3.9 | −2.3 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 4.5 | 2.3 | 7.8 | 13.0 | −1.2 | 10.4 | 6.5 | 8.2 | 5.1 | 3.9 |
| 51st – 60th | 5,304 | 5,677 | 5,522 | 5,638 | 5,504 | 5,865 | 6,027 | 6,561 | 7,492 | 7,319 | 7,840 | 8,436 | 9,133 | 9,469 | 10,108 | 7.0 | −2.7 | 2.1 | −2.4 | 6.6 | 2.8 | 8.9 | 14.2 | −2.3 | 7.1 | 7.6 | 8.3 | 3.7 | 6.7 |
| 61st – 70th | 6,354 | 6,751 | 6,664 | 6,725 | 6,633 | 7,136 | 7,180 | 7,928 | 8,957 | 8,798 | 9,310 | 10,101 | 10,894 | 11,293 | 11,861 | 6.2 | −1.3 | 0.9 | −1.4 | 7.6 | 0.6 | 10.4 | 13.0 | −1.8 | 5.8 | 8.5 | 7.9 | 3.7 | 5.0 |
| 71st – 80th | 7,608 | 8,322 | 8,132 | 8,229 | 8,012 | 8,641 | 8,809 | 9,479 | 10,820 | 10,694 | 11,105 | 12,306 | 13,186 | 13,807 | 14,496 | 9.4 | −2.3 | 1.2 | −2.6 | 7.9 | 1.9 | 7.6 | 14.1 | −1.2 | 3.8 | 10.8 | 7.2 | 4.7 | 5.0 |
| 81st – 90th | 9,461 | 10,755 | 10,294 | 10,271 | 10,350 | 10,701 | 11,048 | 12,386 | 14,013 | 13,423 | 13,943 | 15,509 | 16,366 | 16,984 | 18,017 | 13.7 | −4.3 | −0.2 | 0.8 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 12.1 | 13.1 | −4.2 | 3.9 | 11.2 | 5.5 | 3.8 | 6.1 |
| 91st – 100th | 15,946 | 17,467 | 16,998 | 17,146 | 17,493 | 18,076 | 19,100 | 21,146 | 23,968 | 22,909 | 24,442 | 27,867 | 30,379 | 28,688 | 31,142 | 9.5 | −2.7 | 0.9 | 2.0 | 3.3 | 5.7 | 10.7 | 13.3 | −4.4 | 6.7 | 14.0 | 9.0 | −5.6 | 8.6 |
| Decile | Average monthly household income(SGD) | Nominal annual change (%) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | |
| Total | 5,456 | 5,736 | 5,572 | 5,618 | 5,761 | 6,052 | 6,280 | 6,889 | 7,752 | 7,549 | 8,058 | 8,864 | 9,515 | 5.1 | −2.9 | 0.8 | 2.5 | 5.1 | 3.8 | 9.7 | 12.5 | −2.6 | 6.7 | 10.0 | 7.3 |
| 1st – 10th | 1,285 | 1,209 | 1,151 | 1,112 | 1,140 | 1,162 | 1,165 | 1,223 | 1,300 | 1,264 | 1,385 | 1,460 | 1,518 | −5.9 | −4.8 | −3.4 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 5.0 | 6.3 | −2.8 | 9.6 | 5.4 | 4.0 |
| 11th – 20th | 2,062 | 2,040 | 1,956 | 1,942 | 2,009 | 2,064 | 2,114 | 2,218 | 2,464 | 2,462 | 2,679 | 2,834 | 2,985 | −1.1 | −4.1 | −0.7 | 3.5 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 4.9 | 11.1 | −0.1 | 8.8 | 5.8 | 5.3 |
| 21st – 30th | 2,737 | 2,717 | 2,627 | 2,668 | 2,721 | 2,833 | 2,903 | 3,078 | 3,464 | 3,436 | 3,759 | 3,988 | 4,290 | −0.7 | −3.3 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 4.1 | 2.5 | 6.0 | 12.5 | −0.8 | 9.4 | 6.1 | 7.6 |
| 31st – 40th | 3,367 | 3,434 | 3,312 | 3,330 | 3,431 | 3,645 | 3,673 | 3,950 | 4,420 | 4,495 | 4,887 | 5,200 | 5,529 | 2.0 | −3.6 | 0.5 | 3.0 | 6.2 | 0.8 | 7.5 | 11.9 | 1.7 | 8.7 | 6.4 | 6.3 |
| 41st – 50th | 4,097 | 4,149 | 4,043 | 4,103 | 4,200 | 4,390 | 4,514 | 4,870 | 5,455 | 5,391 | 5,959 | 6,303 | 6,800 | 1.3 | −2.6 | 1.5 | 2.4 | 4.5 | 2.8 | 7.9 | 12.0 | −1.2 | 10.5 | 5.8 | 7.9 |
| 51st – 60th | 4,830 | 5,015 | 4,884 | 4,981 | 4,978 | 5,301 | 5,477 | 5,962 | 6,753 | 6,601 | 7,090 | 7,587 | 8,196 | 3.8 | −2.6 | 2.0 | −0.1 | 6.5 | 3.3 | 8.9 | 13.3 | −2.3 | 7.4 | 7.0 | 8.0 |
| 61st – 70th | 5,773 | 5,971 | 5,891 | 5,936 | 6,005 | 6,458 | 6,535 | 7,234 | 8,107 | 7,972 | 8,450 | 9,147 | 9,806 | 3.4 | −1.3 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 7.5 | 1.2 | 10.7 | 12.1 | −1.7 | 6.0 | 8.2 | 7.2 |
| 71st – 80th | 6,919 | 7,365 | 7,187 | 7,273 | 7,256 | 7,846 | 8,046 | 8,694 | 9,849 | 9,733 | 10,142 | 11,193 | 11,973 | 6.4 | −2.4 | 1.2 | −0.2 | 8.1 | 2.5 | 8.1 | 13.3 | −1.2 | 4.2 | 10.4 | 7.0 |
| 81st – 90th | 8,631 | 9,557 | 9,144 | 9,142 | 9,443 | 9,797 | 10,203 | 11,491 | 12,916 | 12,354 | 12,887 | 14,307 | 15,038 | 10.7 | −4.3 | 0.0 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 12.6 | 12.4 | −4.4 | 4.3 | 11.0 | 5.1 |
| 91st – 100th | 14,862 | 15,905 | 15,524 | 15,688 | 16,425 | 17,021 | 18,170 | 20,174 | 22,797 | 21,784 | 23,345 | 26,622 | 29,012 | 7.0 | −2.4 | 1.1 | 4.7 | 3.6 | 6.8 | 11.0 | 13.0 | −4.4 | 7.2 | 14.0 | 9.0 |
The disparity in household income had widened in 2000, reflecting the faster income growth for the higher-income households.[91][98]
| Year | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household income from workexcluding employer CPF contributions per household member | 0.444 | 0.456 | 0.457 | 0.460 | 0.464 | 0.470 | 0.476 | 0.489 | 0.481 | 0.478 | 0.480 | 0.482 | 0.488 |
| Household income from workincluding employer CPF contributions per household member | 0.442 | 0.454 | 0.454 | 0.457 | 0.460 | 0.465 | 0.470 | 0.482 | 0.474 | 0.471 | 0.472 | 0.473 | 0.478 |
| Household income from workincluding employer CPF contributions per household memberafter accounting for government transfers and taxes | 0.434 | 0.437 | 0.433 | 0.446 | 0.446 | 0.449 | 0.444 | 0.467 | 0.449 | 0.448 | 0.452 | 0.448 | 0.459 |
| Year | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household income from workexcluding employer CPF contributions per household member | 7.74 | 8.68 | 8.49 | 8.51 | 8.81 | 9.26 | 9.3 | 9.52 | 9.61 | 9.25 | 9.43 | 9.12 | 9.18 |
| Household income from workincluding employer CPF contributions per household member | 7.75 | 8.58 | 8.82 | 8.81 | 8.87 | 9.06 | 9.23 | 9.38 | 9.64 | 9.43 | 9.35 | 9.19 | 9.14 |
| Household income from workincluding employer CPF contributions per household memberafter accounting for government transfers and taxes | 7.68 | 7.82 | 7.71 | 8.28 | 8.24 | 8.3 | 7.68 | 8.68 | 7.94 | 8.00 | 8.1 | 7.54 | 7.87 |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)Singapore Department of Statistics.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)Department of Statistics, Singapore.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)Department of Statistics, Singapore.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)Department of Statistics, Singapore.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
