| Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore | |
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| Style |
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| Abbreviation | DPM |
| Appointer | Prime Minister |
| Term length | At the President's pleasure |
| Inaugural holder | Toh Chin Chye |
| Formation | 3 June 1959; 66 years ago (1959-06-03) |
| Salary | S$1,870,000 annually (including S$192,500 MP salary) |
| Website | www |
Thedeputy prime minister of Singapore[a] is the deputyhead of government of theRepublic of Singapore, and a key political ally of theprime minister. The incumbent deputy prime minister isGan Kim Yong, an MP forPunggol Group Representation Constituency from the governingPeople's Action Party, who took office on 15 May 2024.
The office of deputy prime minister is the second highest position in theCabinet of Singapore, typically held by senior ministers. At times, two individuals could serve simultaneously as deputy prime ministers. The officeholder is generally assigned specific duties by the prime minister, including deputising in theParliament of Singapore. Additionally, the deputy prime minister often acts as prime minister during periods when the latter is abroad, on leave or incapacitated.
Established in1959 with Singapore's attainment ofself-governance from theBritish Empire, the first deputy prime minister was appointed byYang di-Pertuan NegaraWilliam Goode. The position retained its title following Singapore's merger with theFederation of Malaya,Sarawak andNorth Borneo to formMalaysia, during which Singapore functioned as aautonomous federated state between 1963 and 1965.Toh Chin Chye was the inaugural officeholder, serving from 1959 to 1968.[1] It was vacant from 1968 to 1973, when prime ministerLee Kuan Yew did not pick a deputy for hisThird Cabinet after winning the1968 Singaporean general election.
Two former deputy prime ministers of Singapore have subsequently been elected asPresident of Singapore. These includeOng Teng Cheong andTharman Shanmugaratnam, both of whom transitioned from their deputy roles to the nation'shead of state.[2][3]Lawrence Wong assumed the office of deputy prime minister on 13 June 2022 but left the position on 15 May 2024 to become prime minister, making his tenure the shortest in the history of the office. His successor,Gan Kim Yong, took office on 15 May 2024 and continues to serve concurrently asMinister for Trade and Industry.
Since its formation, all individuals who have held the position of Deputy Prime Minister have been members of thePeople's Action Party (PAP).
| No. | Portrait | Name Constituency (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Political party | Cabinet | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||
| 1 |  | Toh Chin Chye MP forRochore (1921–2012) | 5 June 1959 | 3 August 1968 | 9 years, 59 days | PAP | Lee K. I Lee K. II Lee K. III |
| Vacant (4 August 1968 – 1 March 1973) | Lee K. III Lee K. IV | ||||||
| 2 |  | Goh Keng Swee MP forKreta Ayer (1918–2010) | 1 March 1973 | 1 January 1985 | 11 years, 306 days | PAP | Lee K. IV Lee K. V Lee K. VI |
| 3 | S. Rajaratnam MP forKampong Glam (1915–2006) | 1 June 1980 | 1 January 1985 | 4 years, 214 days | Lee K. V Lee K. VI | ||
| 4 |  | Goh Chok Tong MP forMarine Parade SMC (until 1988) andMarine Parade GRC (from 1988) (born 1941) | 2 January 1985 | 28 November 1990 | 5 years, 330 days | Lee K. VII Lee K. VIII | |
| 4 |  | Ong Teng Cheong MP forKim Keat SMC (until 1991) andToa Payoh GRC (from 1991) (1936–2002) | 2 January 1985 | 1 September 1993 | 8 years, 242 days | Lee K. VII Lee K. VIII Goh I Goh II | |
| 5 |  | Lee Hsien Loong MP forTeck Ghee SMC (until 1991) andAng Mo Kio GRC (from 1991) (born 1952) | 28 November 1990 | 12 August 2004 | 13 years, 258 days | Goh I Goh II Goh III Goh IV | |
| 6 |  | Tony Tan MP forSembawang GRC (born 1940) | 1 August 1995 | 1 September 2005 | 10 years, 31 days | Goh II Goh III Goh IV Lee H. I | |
| 7 | .jpg) | S. Jayakumar MP forEast Coast GRC (born 1939) | 12 August 2004 | 1 April 2009 | 4 years, 232 days | Lee H. I Lee H. II | |
| 8 |  | Wong Kan Seng MP forBishan–Toa Payoh GRC (born 1946) | 1 September 2005 | 21 May 2011 | 5 years, 262 days | ||
| 9 |  | Teo Chee Hean MP forPasir Ris–Punggol GRC (born 1954) | 1 April 2009 | 30 April 2019 | 10 years, 29 days | Lee H. II Lee H. III Lee H. IV | |
| 10 |  | Tharman Shanmugaratnam MP forJurong GRC (born 1957) | 21 May 2011 | 30 April 2019 | 7 years, 344 days | Lee H. III Lee H. IV | |
| 11 |  | Heng Swee Keat MP forTampines GRC (until 2020) andEast Coast GRC (from 2020) (born 1961) | 1 May 2019 | 23 May 2025 | 6 years, 22 days | Lee H. IV Lee H. V Wong I | |
| 12 | .jpg) | Lawrence Wong MP forMarsiling–Yew Tee GRC (born 1972) | 13 June 2022 | 14 May 2024 | 1 year, 336 days | Lee H. V | |
| 13 | | Gan Kim Yong MP forChua Chu Kang GRC (until 2025) andPunggol GRC (from 2025) (born 1959) | 15 May 2024 | Incumbent | 1 year, 276 days | Wong I Wong II | |
 Current members of theCabinet of Singapore | |
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| Prime Minister | |
| Deputy Prime Minister(s) | |
| Senior Minister(s) | |
| Cabinet Minister(s) | |
Effective from 23 May 2025 | |
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