Demographics of Singapore
Encyclopedia
This article is about the demographic
features of the population
of Singapore
, including population density
, ethnicity
, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
By end of June 2011, the island's population stood at 5.18 million with 3.8 million citizens and 1.4 million non-resident foreigners and is the second most densely populated independent country in the world (behind Monaco
). Singapore is a multicultural
country with a majority
population of Chinese
(74 percent), with substantial Malay
(13 percent) and Indian minorities (9.2 percent). The Malays are recognised as the indigenous community although most are the descendants of post-1945 immigrants from Indonesia and Malaysia. Mahayana Buddhism
is the first religion in Singapore though not representing a majority, with significant numbers following Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism or no religion at all. The annual population growth rate for the year 2000 was 2.8%. The country has four official languages consisting of Mandarin, Malay, Tamil and English. English
is the current main working language
while Mandarin has been heavily promoted by the government and is now the second working language in the country. According to latest 2010 statistics, Singapore’s resident total fertility rate (TFR) reached a level of 1.1 in 2010. The Chinese TFR was (1.08), followed by Indians (1.14) and Malays (1.82). Malay fertility-rate is ~70% higher than Chinese and Indians. Singapore has attempted to boost the fertility rate for years to the replacement level of 2.1 birth per woman.
While the Singapore Department of Statistics reports overall population figures for Singapore (4.48 million in 2006), as a matter of policy, it only provides more detailed demographic breakdown analysis for the approximately 80% of the population who are Singapore citizens and Permanent Residents (collectively termed 'residents'). Of this group of about 3.6 million people, Chinese
form 75.2%, Malays
form 13.6%, Indians form 8.8%, while Eurasians and other groups form 2.4%.
Official figures show that the number of foreigners on short-term permits (termed 'non-residents') has grown from 30,900 in 1970 to 797,900 in 2005, which translate roughly to a 24-fold increase in 35 years, or from 1% of the population in 1970 to 18.3% in 2005. Despite this huge increase, no further breakdown is given by Singstat.
Some studies have attempted to cast light on the demographic profile of Singapore's non-resident population. According to 'The Encyclopedia of the Indian Diaspora' (published in 2006), "independent surveys approximate the number of South Asians on work permits to be between 30-35 per cent of the total 'Indian' population in Singapore, or approximately 90,000-100,000." Based on this, we can estimate that, as of June 2006, the Indian population formed 12.5% of the non-resident population, and therefore numbered between 415,000 and 430,000, or about 9.5% of the total population of about 4.5 million. It is likely the population of 'others' is similarly greater than suggested by the figures for the 'resident' population. Conversely, it is likely that the Chinese form significantly less than 75% of the total population of 4.5 million.
Following figures show that the ethnic composition of the resident population has been stable over the last 30 years, while non-resident population has boomed.
A recent figure released by the Straits Times on 20 July 2010 shows that the total population of Non Resident Singaporeans (PRs + foreigners) is around 1.79 million of which Indians are 400,000 (22.35%). It is noteworthy that the number of Indian PRs and foreigners have doubled in the last 2 years! An increase of 200,000 in 2 years may portend a rapid shift in the demographic scenery of Singapore.
Note: No breakdown by ethnicity is released for the non-resident population.
Source: Singapore Department of Statistics.
s: English
, Malay
, Mandarin and Tamil
.
Malay
is the national language of the country, although English is mainly used. English serves as the link between the different ethnic groups and is the language of the educational system
and the administration. The colloquial English used in everyday life is often referred to as Singlish
.
The government of Singapore has been promoting the use of Mandarin, the official form of Chinese in Singapore as well as mainland China and Taiwan, with its Speak Mandarin Campaign
among the Chinese population. The use of other Chinese
dialect
s, like Hokkien
, Teochew, Cantonese, Hainanese and Hakka, 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% of Singapore's Indian population speaks Tamil
as their native language. Other Indian languages widely spoken are Malayalam
and Hindi
.
Around 5,000 Peranakan
s, the early Chinese population of the region, still use the Hokkien-influenced Malay
dialect called Baba Malay.
. The majority of Malays are Muslim
, the plurality of Chinese practise Buddhism and syncretic Chinese folk traditions. Christianity
is growing among the Chinese, having overtaken Taoism
as second most important religion among this ethnic group. Indians are mostly Hindu
s though many others are Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists and Christians. People who practice no religion form the third largest group in Singapore.
Religions of the main ethnic groups (2000):
Source: Census 2000.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators
, from 1947 to 1957, Singapore's version of the post–World War II baby boom occurred.
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 the United States
saw its peak birth rate.) 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%. Singapore's population expansion can be seen in the graph below:
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 the Guinness 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.
In September 1965 the Minister 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 on family planning
. By 1970, the Stop 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 the demographic transition
. In 1983, the Graduate 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 an O-level degree to get sterilised. This was done out of the government's belief (led by Lee Kuan Yew
) 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 the Great Marriage Debate. In 1986, the government reversed its population policy — except its stance on low-income, lowly-educated women — and initiated the Have Three or More (if you can afford it) campaign, offering cash and public administration incentives to have children. In 2001, the Singapore government started its Baby Bonus
scheme.
Singapore's current fertility rate is 1.16 children born per woman (in 2010), which is one of the lowest in the world. Chinese had a ferlility 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. 1 2 While the Singapore government has launched several highly publicized attempts to raise the fertility rate and increase awareness of the negative effects of an aging population, the elderly (65+) still constitute only 8.3% of its population; this proportion is significantly lower than that of many other developed nations, such as the United States (12%) and Japan (21.2%).
(2006 est.)
(2000 est.)
(2006 est.)
(2006 est.)
81 years
male:
79 years
female:
83 years
Source: Singapore Department of Statistics.
The divorce
rate has doubled over the last decade, and as of 2003, for every ten marriages registered in Singapore, almost three ended in divorce. The Women's Charter
protects the women's financial interests during a divorce, often requiring the husband to contribute to his divorced wife and their children.
Source: Census 2000.
Source: Census 2000.
Note: Based on resident non-students aged 15 years and over by highest qualification attained.
Unemployment rates were seasonally adjusted.
Source: Singapore Department of Statistics.
Note: Based on persons aged 15 years and over.
Source: Singapore Department of Statistics.
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 2.8%.
Source: Singapore Department of Statistics.
Source: Singapore Department of Statistics.
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. http://mms.elibraryhub.com/SHC/Govt/MTI/SingStat/c2000adr-hhinc.pdf
Source: Singapore Department of Statistics.
, a measure of income inequality, rose from 0.446 in 1998 to 0.481 in 2000. Other measures of income inequality also indicated similar trend of increasing disparity in household income.
Source: Singapore Department of Statistics.
In the United Nations
Development Programme Report 2004, (page 50-53)], Singapore's Gini coefficient based on income is 0.425 in 1998, which is ranked 78 among 127 countries in income equality (see list of countries by income equality).
Demographics
Demographics are the most recent statistical characteristics of a population. These types of data are used widely in sociology , public policy, and marketing. Commonly examined demographics include gender, race, age, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, employment status, and even location...
features of the population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, including population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
, ethnicity
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
By end of June 2011, the island's population stood at 5.18 million with 3.8 million citizens and 1.4 million non-resident foreigners and is the second most densely populated independent country in the world (behind Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
). Singapore is a multicultural
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
country with a majority
Majority
A majority is a subset of a group consisting of more than half of its members. This can be compared to a plurality, which is a subset larger than any other subset; i.e. a plurality is not necessarily a majority as the largest subset may consist of less than half the group's population...
population of Chinese
Chinese in Singapore
Chinese Singaporeans are people of Chinese ethnicity who hold Singaporean nationality. As of 2010, Chinese Singaporeans constitute 74.1% of Singapore's resident population, or approximately three out of four Singaporeans, making them the largest ethnic group in Singapore...
(74 percent), with substantial Malay
Malays in Singapore
Malays in Singapore are defined by the Singaporean government using the broader and antiquated "Malay race" concept, rather than modern-day Malay ethnic group. Although Malays have inhabited the area that is now Singapore since the 17th century, most of the Malays in Singapore today are immigrants...
(13 percent) and Indian minorities (9.2 percent). The Malays are recognised as the indigenous community although most are the descendants of post-1945 immigrants from Indonesia and Malaysia. Mahayana Buddhism
Mahayana
Mahāyāna is one of the two main existing branches of Buddhism and a term for classification of Buddhist philosophies and practice...
is the first religion in Singapore though not representing a majority, with significant numbers following Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism or no religion at all. The annual population growth rate for the year 2000 was 2.8%. The country has four official languages consisting of Mandarin, Malay, Tamil and English. English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
is the current main working language
Working language
A working language is a language that is given a unique legal status in a supra-national company, society, state or other body or organization as its primary mean of communication...
while Mandarin has been heavily promoted by the government and is now the second working language in the country. According to latest 2010 statistics, Singapore’s resident total fertility rate (TFR) reached a level of 1.1 in 2010. The Chinese TFR was (1.08), followed by Indians (1.14) and Malays (1.82). Malay fertility-rate is ~70% higher than Chinese and Indians. Singapore has attempted to boost the fertility rate for years to the replacement level of 2.1 birth per woman.
Ethnic groups
Singapore became numerically dominated by immigrant ethnic groups soon after Sir Stamford Raffles established a trading post on the island in 1819. It is estimated that in January 1819, Singapore had about 880 Malays and aboriginal tribes and about 20 to 30 Chinese. In 1821, it was estimated that there were nearly 3,000 Malays and more than 1,000 Chinese.While the Singapore Department of Statistics reports overall population figures for Singapore (4.48 million in 2006), as a matter of policy, it only provides more detailed demographic breakdown analysis for the approximately 80% of the population who are Singapore citizens and Permanent Residents (collectively termed 'residents'). Of this group of about 3.6 million people, Chinese
Chinese in Singapore
Chinese Singaporeans are people of Chinese ethnicity who hold Singaporean nationality. As of 2010, Chinese Singaporeans constitute 74.1% of Singapore's resident population, or approximately three out of four Singaporeans, making them the largest ethnic group in Singapore...
form 75.2%, Malays
Malays in Singapore
Malays in Singapore are defined by the Singaporean government using the broader and antiquated "Malay race" concept, rather than modern-day Malay ethnic group. Although Malays have inhabited the area that is now Singapore since the 17th century, most of the Malays in Singapore today are immigrants...
form 13.6%, Indians form 8.8%, while Eurasians and other groups form 2.4%.
Official figures show that the number of foreigners on short-term permits (termed 'non-residents') has grown from 30,900 in 1970 to 797,900 in 2005, which translate roughly to a 24-fold increase in 35 years, or from 1% of the population in 1970 to 18.3% in 2005. Despite this huge increase, no further breakdown is given by Singstat.
Some studies have attempted to cast light on the demographic profile of Singapore's non-resident population. According to 'The Encyclopedia of the Indian Diaspora' (published in 2006), "independent surveys approximate the number of South Asians on work permits to be between 30-35 per cent of the total 'Indian' population in Singapore, or approximately 90,000-100,000." Based on this, we can estimate that, as of June 2006, the Indian population formed 12.5% of the non-resident population, and therefore numbered between 415,000 and 430,000, or about 9.5% of the total population of about 4.5 million. It is likely the population of 'others' is similarly greater than suggested by the figures for the 'resident' population. Conversely, it is likely that the Chinese form significantly less than 75% of the total population of 4.5 million.
Following figures show that the ethnic composition of the resident population has been stable over the last 30 years, while non-resident population has boomed.
A recent figure released by the Straits Times on 20 July 2010 shows that the total population of Non Resident Singaporeans (PRs + foreigners) is around 1.79 million of which Indians are 400,000 (22.35%). It is noteworthy that the number of Indian PRs and foreigners have doubled in the last 2 years! An increase of 200,000 in 2 years may portend a rapid shift in the demographic scenery of Singapore.
| Ethnic | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 77.0 | 78.3 | 77.7 | 76.8 | 74.1 |
| Malays | 14.8 | 14.4 | 14.1 | 13.9 | 13.4 |
| Indians | 7.0 | 6.3 | 7.1 | 7.9 | 9.2 |
| Others | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 3.3 |
Note: No breakdown by ethnicity is released for the non-resident population.
| 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2009 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-residents (Residents = Citizens + PRs) | 2.9% | 5.5% | 10.2% | 18.7% | 25.3% |
Source: Singapore Department of Statistics.
Languages
There are four official languageOfficial language
An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically a nation's official language will be the one used in that nation's courts, parliament and administration. However, official status can also be used to give a...
s: English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
, Mandarin and Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
.
Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
is the national language of the country, although English is mainly used. English serves as the link between the different ethnic groups and is the language of the educational system
Education in Singapore
Education in Singapore is managed by the Ministry of Education , which controls the development and administration of state schools receiving government funding, but also has an advisory and supervisory role in respect of private schools...
and the administration. The colloquial English used in everyday life is often referred to as Singlish
Singlish
Colloquial Singaporean English, also known as Singlish, is an English-based creole language spoken in Singapore.Singlish is commonly regarded with low prestige in Singapore. The Singaporean government and many Singaporeans alike heavily discourage the use of Singlish in favour of Standard English...
.
The government of Singapore has been promoting the use of Mandarin, the official form of Chinese in Singapore as well as mainland China and Taiwan, with its Speak Mandarin Campaign
Speak Mandarin Campaign
The Speak Mandarin Campaign is an initiative by the government of Singapore to encourage the Singaporean Chinese population to speak Mandarin, one of the four official languages of Singapore...
among the Chinese population. The use of other Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
s, like Hokkien
Min Nan
The Southern Min languages, or Min Nan , are a family of Chinese languages spoken in southern Fujian, eastern Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan, and southern Zhejiang provinces of China, and by descendants of emigrants from these areas in diaspora....
, Teochew, Cantonese, Hainanese and Hakka, 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% of Singapore's Indian population speaks Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
as their native language. Other Indian languages widely spoken are Malayalam
Malayalam language
Malayalam , is one of the four major Dravidian languages of southern India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with official language status in the state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. It is spoken by 35.9 million people...
and Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
.
Around 5,000 Peranakan
Peranakan
Peranakan Chinese and Baba-Nyonya are terms used for the descendants of late 15th and 16th-century Chinese immigrants to the Indonesian archipelago of Nusantara during the Colonial era....
s, the early Chinese population of the region, still use the Hokkien-influenced Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
dialect called Baba Malay.
| Language | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | 18.8 | 23.0 | 32.3 |
| Mandarin | 23.7 | 35.0 | 35.6 |
| (non-Mandarin) Chinese Dialects | 39.6 | 23.8 | 14.3 |
| Malay | 14.3 | 14.1 | 12.2 |
| Tamil | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.3 |
Religion
Singapore generally allows religious freedom, although some religious sects are restricted or banned, such as Jehovah's Witness, due to its opposition of National ServiceNational service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
. The majority of Malays are Muslim
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, the plurality of Chinese practise Buddhism and syncretic Chinese folk traditions. Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
is growing among the Chinese, having overtaken Taoism
Taoism
Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
as second most important religion among this ethnic group. Indians are mostly Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
s though many others are Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists and Christians. People who practice no religion form the third largest group in Singapore.
| Religion | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buddhism Buddhism in Singapore As of 2010, 33.6% of Singaporeans identified themselves as Buddhist. Adherents of Buddhism are mostly of the Chinese majority ethnic group, although small minorities of Sinhalese and Thai Buddhists do exist as well.... |
27.0 | 31.2 | 42.5 | 33.3 |
| Christianity Christianity in Singapore Christians in Singapore constitute approximately 17.5% of the population. In the 2000 Census, 4.8% of residents aged 15 years and older, identified as Catholic and 9.8% as 'Other Christians'.-History:... |
10.1 | 12.7 | 14.6 | 18.3 |
| No religion | 13.0 | 14.1 | 14.8 | 17.0 |
| Islam Islam in Singapore About 15% of Singapore's population are Muslims. A majority of Malays are Sunni Muslims. Other adherents include Indian and Pakistani communities as well as a small number of Chinese, Myanmar Muslims, Arabs and Eurasians. 17 per cent of Muslims in Singapore are of Indian origin... |
15.7 | 15.3 | 14.9 | 14.7 |
| Taoism Taoism in Singapore Taoism is adhered to by 8.5% of the entire population of Singapore. In general, nearly all adherents of Taoism in Singapore are associated with the mainstream Zhen Yi school... /Chinese traditional beliefs |
30.0 | 22.4 | 8.5 | 10.9 |
| Hinduism Hinduism in Singapore -Beginnings of Hinduism in Singapore:The early 19th century saw a wave of immigrants to Singapore from southern India, mostly Tamils, to work as coolies and labourers for the British East India Company in Singapore. These immigrants brought along their religion and culture from their homeland as well... |
3.6 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 5.1 |
| Other religions | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 |
Religions of the main ethnic groups (2000):
Source: Census 2000.
Population
5,076,700 - 2010 est.Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators
Population growth and population control
After World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, from 1947 to 1957, Singapore's version of the post–World War II baby boom occurred.
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 the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
saw its peak birth rate.) 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%. Singapore's population expansion can be seen in the graph below:
| Period | Growth rate |
|---|---|
| 1947—1957 | 84.7% |
| 1957—1970 | 90.8% |
| 1970—1980 | 13.3% |
| 1980—1990 | 18.5% |
| 1990— 2000 | 20.6% |
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 the Guinness 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.
In September 1965 the Minister for Health
Ministry of Health (Singapore)
The Ministry of Health is a ministry of the Government of Singapore responsible for providing information, raising health awareness and education, ensuring the accessibility of health services, and monitoring the quality of health services provided to citizens and visitors in the Republic of...
, Yong Nyuk Lin
Yong Nyuk Lin
Yong Nyuk Lin is a Singaporean politician. He was born in Seremban, Negri Sembilan, Malaysia and studied in Singapore. He was the general manager of Overseas Assurance Company when he resigned to stand for elections in 1959. He became the Member of Parliament for Geylang West. He was in...
, 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 on family planning
Family planning
Family planning is the planning of when to have children, and the use of birth control and other techniques to implement such plans. Other techniques commonly used include sexuality education, prevention and management of sexually transmitted infections, pre-conception counseling and...
. By 1970, the Stop 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 the demographic transition
Demographic transition
The demographic transition model is the transition from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates as a country develops from a pre-industrial to an industrialized economic system. The theory is based on an interpretation of demographic history developed in 1929 by the American...
. In 1983, the Graduate 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 an O-level degree to get sterilised. This was done out of the government's belief (led by Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH is a Singaporean statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, governing for three decades...
) 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 the Great Marriage Debate. In 1986, the government reversed its population policy — except its stance on low-income, lowly-educated women — and initiated the Have Three or More (if you can afford it) campaign, offering cash and public administration incentives to have children. In 2001, the Singapore government started its Baby Bonus
Baby Bonus
The Baby Bonus is a government payment to parents of a newborn baby or adopted child to assist with the costs of childrearing.- Australia :The government of Andrew Fisher introduced a baby bonus of £5 per child in late 1912. The bonus was available irrespective of marital status and could also be...
scheme.
Singapore's current fertility rate is 1.16 children born per woman (in 2010), which is one of the lowest in the world. Chinese had a ferlility 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. 1 2 While the Singapore government has launched several highly publicized attempts to raise the fertility rate and increase awareness of the negative effects of an aging population, the elderly (65+) still constitute only 8.3% of its population; this proportion is significantly lower than that of many other developed nations, such as the United States (12%) and Japan (21.2%).
Current population structure
| Age | percentage | male | female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–14 years | 15.6% | 362,329 | 337,964 |
| 15–64 years | 76.1% | 1,666,709 | 1,750,736 |
| 65 years and over | 8.3% | 165,823 | 208,589 |
(2006 est.)
| Residential Status | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Total Population | 4,017,733 | 100.0% |
| Citizens | 2,973,091 | 74.0% |
| Permanent Residents | 290,118 | 7.2% |
| Non-resident Population | 754,524 | 18.8% |
(2000 est.)
| Population growth rate | 1.42% (2006) |
| Birth rate | 9.34 births/1,000 population |
| Death rate | 4.28 deaths/1,000 population |
| Net migration rate | 9.12 migrants/1,000 population |
(2006 est.)
| Age | males/female |
|---|---|
| at birth | 1.08 |
| under 15 years | 1.07 |
| 15–64 years | 0.95 |
| 65 years and over | 0.80 |
| total population | 0.96 |
(2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population:81 years
male:
79 years
female:
83 years
Marriage and divorce
| 2007 | |
|---|---|
| Number of marriages (excluding previously married) | 23,996 |
| Number of resident marriage (excluding previously married) | 23,088 |
| Number of divorces and annulments | 7,226 |
| Mean age of first marriage (years) | |
| …Grooms | 29.8 |
| …Brides | 27.2 |
| General marriage rate | |
| …Males (per 1,000 unmarried resident males) | 43.8 |
| …Females (per 1,000 unmarried resident females) | 42.6 |
| General divorce rate | |
| …Males (per 1,000 unmarried resident males) | 8.1 |
| …Females (per 1,000 unmarried resident females) | 8.3 |
| Crude marriage rate (per 1,000 resident population) | 6.69 |
| Crude rate of marital dissolution (per 1,000 resident population) | 2.02 |
Source: Singapore Department of Statistics.
The divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
rate has doubled over the last decade, and as of 2003, for every ten marriages registered in Singapore, almost three ended in divorce. The Women's Charter
Women's Charter (Singapore)
The Women's Charter was an Act of the Singaporean Parliament passed in 1961. The Act was designed to improve and protect the rights of females in Singapore and to guarantee greater legal equality for women in legally sanctioned relationships...
protects the women's financial interests during a divorce, often requiring the husband to contribute to his divorced wife and their children.
Literacy
Aged 15 years & above| Year | 2000 | 1990 |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 92.5% | 89.1% |
| Male | 96.6% | 95.1% |
| Female | 88.6% | 83.0% |
Source: Census 2000.
Education
| Highest qualification attained | Population | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 2,277,401 | 100.0% |
| No qualification | 445,444 | 19.6% |
| Primary | 276,542 | 12.1% |
| Lower secondary | 248,598 | 10.9% |
| Secondary | 560,570 | 24.6% |
| Upper secondary | 226,275 | 9.9% |
| Polytechnic | 140,970 | 6.2% |
| Other Diploma | 112,371 | 4.9% |
| University | 266,631 | 11.7% |
Source: Census 2000.
Note: Based on resident non-students aged 15 years and over by highest qualification attained.
Employment
In 2005, the unemployment rate is 2.5%, the lowest in the last four years, with a labour force of 2.3 million people.| Year | Labour Force | Unemployment rate |
Labour force participation rate | CPF Central Provident Fund In Singapore, the Central Provident Fund is a compulsory comprehensive savings plan for working Singaporeans and permanent residents primarily to fund their retirement, healthcare and housing needs. It is administered by the Central Provident Fund Board, a statutory board under the Ministry of... contributors in labour force |
Union members among employed |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Males | Females | |||||
| Thousand | Percent | ||||||
| 1994 | 1,693.1 | 1.9 | 64.9 | 79.6 | 50.9 | 67.3 | 14.1 |
| 1999 | 1,976.0 | 3.6 | 64.7 | 77.8 | 52.7 | 62.0 | 15.4 |
| 2000 | 2,192.2 | 3.5 | 68.6 | 81.1 | 55.5 | 58.1 | 15.0 |
| 2001 | 2,119.7 | 2.7 | 65.4 | 77.8 | 54.3 | 59.9 | 16.5 |
| 2002 | 2,128.5 | 4.2 | 64.7 | 77.2 | 53.4 | 60.3 | 19.3 |
| 2003 | 2,150.1 | 4.4 | 64.2 | 75.8 | 53.9 | 59.7 | 20.5 |
| 2004 | 2,183.3 | 4.3 | 64.2 | 75.6 | 54.2 | 60.7 | 21.5 |
| 2005 | 2,317.4 | 2.5 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
Unemployment rates were seasonally adjusted.
Source: Singapore Department of Statistics.
Note: Based on persons aged 15 years and over.
Average household monthly income
The average household monthly income is SGD$4,943 in 2000, which is an increase from SGD$3,080 in 1990 at an average annual rate of 4.9%. The average household income experienced a drop of 2.7% in 1999 due to economic slowdown.| Year | Average income (SGD$) | Median income (SGD$) |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 3,076 | 2,296 |
| 1995 | 4,107 | 3,135 |
| 1997 | 4,745 | 3,617 |
| 1998 | 4,822 | 3,692 |
| 1999 | 4,691 | 3,500 |
| 2000 | 4,943 | 3,607 |
Source: Singapore Department of Statistics.
Measured in 1990 dollars, the average household monthly income rose from SGD$3,080 in 1990 to SGD$4,170 in 2000 at an average annual rate of 2.8%.
| Ethnic group | Average household income (SGD$) |
Median household income (SGD$) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2000 | 1990 | 2000 | |
| Total | 3,076 | 4,943 | 2,296 | 3,607 |
| Chinese | 3,213 | 5,219 | 2,400 | 3,848 |
| Malays | 2,246 | 3,148 | 1,880 | 2,708 |
| Indians | 2,859 | 4,556 | 2,174 | 3,387 |
| Others | 3,885 | 7,250 | 2,782 | 4,775 |
Source: Singapore Department of Statistics.
Household income distribution
| Monthly household income (SGD$) |
Number ('000) | Percent | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2000 | 1990 | 2000 | |
| Total | 661.7 | 923.3 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Below 1,000 | 105.7 | 116.3 | 16.0 | 12.6 |
| 1,000-1,999 | 179.3 | 128.9 | 27.1 | 14.0 |
| 2,000-2,999 | 133.3 | 136.1 | 20.1 | 14.7 |
| 3,000-3,999 | 86.1 | 121.3 | 13.0 | 13.1 |
| 4,000-4,999 | 54.0 | 95.2 | 8.2 | 10.3 |
| 5,000-5,999 | 33.5 | 75.4 | 5.1 | 8.2 |
| 6,000-6,999 | 21.7 | 57.5 | 3.3 | 6.2 |
| 7,000-7,999 | 13.8 | 42.2 | 2.1 | 4.6 |
| 8,000-8,999 | 9.5 | 32.4 | 1.4 | 3.5 |
| 9,000-9,999 | 6.5 | 23.4 | 1.0 | 2.5 |
| 10,000 & over | 18.3 | 94.6 | 2.8 | 10.3 |
Source: Singapore Department of Statistics.
Growth in household income by decile
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 no income earnerIncome earner
Income earner refers to an individual who through work, investments or a combination of both derives income, which has a fixed and very fixed value of his/her income...
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. http://mms.elibraryhub.com/SHC/Govt/MTI/SingStat/c2000adr-hhinc.pdf
| Average household income from work by decile among all resident households |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decile | Average household income (SGD$) | Annual Change (%) | ||||||
| 1990 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | |
| Total | 3,076 | 4,745 | 4,822 | 4,691 | 4,943 | 1.6 | -2.7 | 5.4 |
| Lowest 10% | 370 | 327 | 258 | 133 | 61 | -21.1 | -48.4 | -54.1 |
| Lowest 10%, excluding households with no income earner |
620 | 716 | 681 | 531 | 459 | |||
| Next 10% | 934 | 1,352 | 1,332 | 1,172 | 1,145 | -1.5 | -12.0 | -2.3 |
| Next 10% | 1,321 | 2,002 | 2,005 | 1,853 | 1,862 | 0.1 | -7.6 | 0.5 |
| Next 10% | 1,686 | 2,613 | 2,647 | 2,470 | 2,535 | 1.3 | -6.7 | 2.6 |
| Next 10% | 2,076 | 3,254 | 3,305 | 3,137 | 3,237 | 1.6 | -5.1 | 3.2 |
| Next 10% | 2,541 | 4,019 | 4,097 | 3,900 | 4,036 | 1.9 | -4.8 | 3.5 |
| Next 10% | 3,116 | 4,938 | 5,034 | 4,828 | 5,017 | 1.9 | -4.1 | 3.9 |
| Next 10% | 3,897 | 6,093 | 6,271 | 6,023 | 6,316 | 2.9 | -4.0 | 4.9 |
| Next 10% | 5,152 | 7,965 | 8,221 | 7,937 | 8,419 | 3.2 | -3.5 | 6.1 |
| Top 10% | 9,671 | 14,890 | 15,053 | 15,451 | 16,804 | 1.1 | 2.6 | 8.8 |
Source: Singapore Department of Statistics.
Household income disparity
The disparity in household income had widened in 2000, reflecting the faster income growth for the higher-income households. The Gini coefficientGini coefficient
The Gini coefficient is a measure of statistical dispersion developed by the Italian statistician and sociologist Corrado Gini and published in his 1912 paper "Variability and Mutability" ....
, a measure of income inequality, rose from 0.446 in 1998 to 0.481 in 2000. Other measures of income inequality also indicated similar trend of increasing disparity in household income.
| Measure | 1990 | 1995 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gini coefficient Gini coefficient The Gini coefficient is a measure of statistical dispersion developed by the Italian statistician and sociologist Corrado Gini and published in his 1912 paper "Variability and Mutability" .... |
0.436 | 0.443 | 0.444 | 0.446 | 0.467 | 0.481 | |
| —Excluding households with no income earner | 0.410 | 0.409 | 0.412 | 0.410 | 0.424 | 0.432 | |
| Ratio of Average Income | |||||||
| —Top 20% to Lowest 20% | 11.4 | 13.8 | 13.6 | 14.6 | 17.9 | 20.9 | |
| —9th decile to 2nd decile | 5.5 | 6.1 | 5.9 | 6.2 | 6.8 | 7.4 | |
Source: Singapore Department of Statistics.
In the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Development Programme Report 2004, (page 50-53)], Singapore's Gini coefficient based on income is 0.425 in 1998, which is ranked 78 among 127 countries in income equality (see list of countries by income equality).
International rankings
| International rankings of Singapore Singapore Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the... |
||
|---|---|---|
| Political Rankings | ||
| Organization | Survey | Ranking |
| Freedom House Freedom House Freedom House is an international non-governmental organization based in Washington, D.C. that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom and human rights... |
Civil and political liberties | "Partly Free" |
| Freedom House Freedom House Freedom House is an international non-governmental organization based in Washington, D.C. that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom and human rights... |
Press freedom Freedom of the Press (report) Freedom of the Press is a yearly report by US-based non-governmental organization Freedom House, measuring the level of freedom and editorial independence enjoyed by the press in every nation and significant disputed territories around the world. Levels of freedom are scored on a scale from 1 to 100... |
"Not Free" |
| Reporters Without Borders Reporters Without Borders Reporters Without Borders is a France-based international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press. It was founded in 1985, by Robert Ménard, Rony Brauman and the journalist Jean-Claude Guillebaud. Jean-François Julliard has served as Secretary General since 2008... |
Press freedom Press Freedom Index The Press Freedom Index is an annual ranking of countries compiled and published by Reporters Without Borders based upon the organization's assessment of their press freedom records. Small countries, such as Andorra, are excluded from this report... |
133rd out of 175 |
| The Economist The Economist The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843... |
Level of democracy Democracy Index The Democracy Index is an index compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit that claims to measure the state of democracy in 167 countries, of which 166 are sovereign states and 165 are UN member states... |
82nd out of 167 (Hybrid regime) |
| Transparency International Transparency International Transparency International is a non-governmental organization that monitors and publicizes corporate and political corruption in international development. It publishes an annual Corruption Perceptions Index, a comparative listing of corruption worldwide... |
Perceived level of corruption Corruption Perceptions Index Since 1995, Transparency International publishes the Corruption Perceptions Index annually ranking countries "by their perceived levels of corruption, as determined by expert assessments and opinion surveys." The CPI generally defines corruption as "the misuse of public power for private... |
3rd out of 180 |
| Privacy International Privacy International Privacy International is a UK-based non-profit organisation formed in 1990, "as a watchdog on surveillance and privacy invasions by governments and corporations." PI has organised campaigns and initiatives in more than fifty countries and is based in London, UK.-Formation, background and... and Electronic Privacy Information Center Electronic Privacy Information Center Electronic Privacy Information Center is a public interest research group in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1994 to focus public attention on emerging civil liberties issues and to protect privacy, the First Amendment, and constitutional values in the information age... |
Privacy from corporative and government surveillance Privacy International Privacy International is a UK-based non-profit organisation formed in 1990, "as a watchdog on surveillance and privacy invasions by governments and corporations." PI has organised campaigns and initiatives in more than fifty countries and is based in London, UK.-Formation, background and... |
"Endemic surveillance society" status |
| Economic Rankings | ||
| Organization | Survey | Ranking |
| International Monetary Fund International Monetary Fund The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world... |
GDP (nominal) per capita | 23rd out of 180 |
| International Monetary Fund International Monetary Fund The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world... |
GDP (PPP) per capita | 5th out of 181 |
| International Monetary Fund International Monetary Fund The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world... |
Amount of foreign exchange reserves | 9th out of 156 |
| United Nations United Nations The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace... |
GINI coefficient | Gini Coefficient of "42.5" (High income inequality country) |
| World Bank World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty... |
Ease of Doing Business Ease of Doing Business Index The Ease of Doing Business Index is an index created by the World Bank. Higher rankings indicate better, usually simpler, regulations for businesses and stronger protections of property rights... |
1st out of 183 |
| World Economic Forum World Economic Forum The World Economic Forum is a Swiss non-profit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva, best known for its annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland.... |
Ease of conducting Trade Global Enabling Trade Report The Global Enabling Trade Report was first published in 2008 by the World Economic Forum.The 2008 report covers 118 major and emerging economies... |
1st out of 118 |
| World Economic Forum World Economic Forum The World Economic Forum is a Swiss non-profit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva, best known for its annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland.... |
Global Competitiveness Global Competitiveness Report The Global Competitiveness Report is a yearly report published by the World Economic Forum. The first report was released in 1979. The 2011–2012 report covers 142 major and emerging economies.... |
3rd out of 133 |
| Social Rankings | ||
| United Nations United Nations The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace... |
Human Development Index Human Development Index The Human Development Index is a composite statistic used to rank countries by level of "human development" and separate "very high human development", "high human development", "medium human development", and "low human development" countries... |
23rd in the world ("Developed country" status) |
| The Economist The Economist The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843... |
Quality of life Quality-of-life index The Economist Intelligence Unit’s quality-of-life index is based on a unique methodology that links the results of subjective life-satisfaction surveys to the objective determinants of quality of life across countries... |
11th out of 111 |
| United Nations United Nations The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace... |
Population density | 3rd out of 239 |
| The Economist The Economist The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843... |
Cost of Living | 11th out of 111 |
| United Nations United Nations The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace... |
Number of immigrants | 7th out of 192 (42.6% of Singapore's population are foreigners) |
| International Energy Agency International Energy Agency The International Energy Agency is a Paris-based autonomous intergovernmental organization established in the framework of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in 1974 in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis... |
Carbon dioxide emissions per capita | 23rd out of 210 |
| Center for Strategic and International Studies Center for Strategic and International Studies The Center for Strategic and International Studies is a bipartisan Washington, D.C., foreign policy think tank. The center was founded in 1962 by Admiral Arleigh Burke and Ambassador David Manker Abshire, originally as part of Georgetown University... |
Number of troops | 62nd out of 166 |
| United Nations United Nations The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace... |
Fertility rate | 221st out of 223 |
See also
- Malay Singaporean
- Chinese Singaporean
- Indian Singaporean
- Arab SingaporeanArab SingaporeanThe majority of the Arabs in Singapore are Hadhramis tracing their ancestry from the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula called Hadhramaut, which is now part of the Republic of Yemen. The People's Democratic Republic of Yemen PDRY was formed on 30 November 1967 when it achieved independence...
- Eurasians in Singapore
- Eugenics in Singapore