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National Population and Talent Division
Articles

Are Singaporeans renouncing their citizenship and rapidly being replaced?

19 January 2020

Singaporean citizenship renunciations are less than 0.1% of the total citizen population each year, and the Government maintains a stable immigration policy while supporting citizen birth rates.

No, Singaporeans are not renouncing their citizenship in large numbers. The Government said in Parliament in 2016 (opens in new tab) that the number of Singapore Citizenship (SC) renunciations between 2005 to 2015 was, on average, around 1,200 annually. This is less than 0.1% of the total citizen population each year. Recent figures are similar.

By international statistical convention, Overseas Singaporeans (who remain citizens but are living overseas for a continuous period of 12 months or longer) are not counted in the Singapore population statistics. Such Singaporeans, who are mainly working or studying abroad, have not renounced their citizenship, and should not be counted as having done so.

The Government’s immigration policy has been to take in a stable and considered number of PRs and Singapore Citizens who are committed to making Singapore their home. Between 15,000 and 25,000 new citizenships are granted each year to individuals who have family ties with Singaporeans, or have studied, worked or lived here for some time. The majority of new citizens are from Southeast Asian Countries such as Malaysia.

In comparison, from 2014 to 2018, there were about 33,000 citizen births on average each year. The Government has been enhancing support (opens in new tab) for child-raising in the key areas of housing, education, healthcare, parental leave and the workplace. In partnership with Singaporeans, the Government is continuously looking into ways to foster an even more family-friendly environment.

For more information, you may refer to the following publications: