Singapore People - 2023

Population

5,975,383 (2023 est.)

Nationality

noun: Singaporean(s)

adjective: Singapore

Ethnic groups

Chinese 74.2%, Malay 13.7%, Indian 8.9%, other 3.2% (2021 est.)

note: data represent population by self-identification; the population is divided into four categories: Chinese, Malay (includes indigenous Malays and Indonesians), Indian (includes Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, or Sri Lankan), and other ethnic groups (includes Eurasians, Caucasians, Japanese, Filipino, Vietnamese)

Languages

English (official) 48.3%, Mandarin (official) 29.9%, other Chinese dialects (includes Hokkien, Cantonese, Teochew, Hakka) 8.7%, Malay (official) 9.2%, Tamil (official) 2.5%, other 1.4%; note - data represent language most frequently spoken at home (2020 est.)

major-language sample(s):
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. (English)

世界概況  –  不可缺少的基本消息來源 (Mandarin)

Religions

Buddhist 31.1%, Christian 18.9%, Muslim 15.6%, Taoist 8.8%, Hindu 5%, other 0.6%, none 20% (2020 est.)

Demographic profile

Singapore has one of the lowest total fertility rates (TFR) in the world – an average of 1.15 children born per woman – and a rapidly aging population.  Women’s expanded educations, widened aspirations, and a desire to establish careers has contributed to delayed marriage and smaller families. Most married couples have only one or two children in order to invest more in each child, including the high costs of education.  In addition, more and more Singaporeans, particularly women, are staying single.  Factors contributing to this trend are a focus on careers, long working hours, the high cost of living, and long waits for public housing.    With fertility at such a low rate and rising life expectancy, the proportion of the population aged 65 or over is growing and the youth population is shrinking.  Singapore is projected to experience one of the largest percentage point increases in the elderly share of the population at 21% between 2019 and 2050, according to the UN.  The working-age population (aged 15-64) will gradually decrease, leaving fewer workers to economically support the elderly population.

Migration has played a key role in Singapore’s development.  As Singapore’s economy expanded during the 19^th century, more and more Chinese, Indian, and Malay labor immigrants arrived.  Most of Singapore’s pre-World War II population growth was a result of immigration.  During World War II, immigration came to a halt when the Japanese occupied the island but revived in the postwar years.  Policy was restrictive during the 1950s and 1960s, aiming to protect jobs for residents by reducing the intake of low-skilled foreign workers and focusing instead on attracting professionals from abroad with specialist skills.  Consequently, the nonresident share of Singapore’s population plummeted to less than 3%. 

As the country industrialized, however, it loosened restrictions on the immigration of manual workers.  From the 1980s through the 2000s, the foreign population continued to grow as a result of policies aimed at attracting foreign workers of all skill levels.  More recently, the government has instituted immigration policies that target highly skilled workers. Skilled workers are encouraged to stay and are given the opportunity to become permanent residents or citizens.  The country, however, imposes restrictions on unskilled and low-skilled workers to ensure they do not establish roots, including prohibiting them from bringing their families and requiring employers to pay a monthly foreign worker levy and security bond.  The country has also become increasingly attractive to international students. The growth of the foreign-born population has continued to be rapid; as of 2015, the foreign-born composed 46% of the total population.  At the same time, growing numbers of Singaporeans are emigrating for education and work experience in highly skilled sectors such finance, information technology, and medicine.  Increasingly, the moves abroad are permanent.

Age structure

0-14 years: 14.82% (male 458,019/female 427,364)

15-64 years: 71.49% (male 2,148,471/female 2,123,102)

65 years and over: 13.7% (2023 est.) (male 379,373/female 439,054)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 35.4

youth dependency ratio: 16.2

elderly dependency ratio: 19.1

potential support ratio: 5.2 (2021 est.)

Median age

total: 35.6 years

male: 35.4 years

female: 35.7 years (2020 est.)

Population growth rate

0.9% (2023 est.)

Birth rate

8.94 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

4.15 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate

4.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

most of the urbanization is along the southern coast, with relatively dense population clusters found in the central areas

Urbanization

urban population: 100% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 0.74% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas - population

6.081 million SINGAPORE (capital) (2023)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female

total population: 1 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

30.5 years (2015 est.)

note: data represents median age

Maternal mortality ratio

7 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 1.54 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 1.7 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 1.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 86.51 years

male: 83.82 years

female: 89.34 years (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.17 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.57 (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

N/A

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: N/A

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: N/A

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure

6.1% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density

2.46 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

Hospital bed density

2.5 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: N/A

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: N/A

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

6.1% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 1.81 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer: 1.26 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine: 0.27 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits: 0.24 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols: 0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use

total: 16.5% (2020 est.)

male: 28% (2020 est.)

female: 5% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

N/A

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

54.3% (2023 est.)

Education expenditures

2.8% of GDP (2021 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 97.5%

male: 98.9%

female: 96.1% (2019)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 17 years

male: 16 years

female: 17 years (2020)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 9.1%

male: 7%

female: 11.8% (2021 est.)