Overview

Singapore’s total population stood at 5.92 million as at June 2023 (Diagram 1), a 5.0 per cent increase from June 2022. Taking into account the decline in total population in 2020 and 2021 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the average total population growth rate over the past five years was comparable to the preceding five-year period.

Diagram 1: Total Population, as at June 2023

Source: Department of Statistics, Ministry of Manpower
Numbers may not sum up due to rounding.

The citizen and Permanent Resident (PR) populations increased by 1.6 per cent (3.55 million to 3.61 million) and 3.7 per cent (0.52 million to 0.54 million) respectively between June 2022 and June 2023 (Chart 1). With the easing of travel restrictions related to COVID-19, more citizens and PRs living overseas returned to Singapore, and this was the largest contributing factor to the increases in the citizen and PR populations.

Chart 1: Total Population by residency status, as of June 2023

Source: Department of Statistics
Numbers may not sum up due to rounding.

As at June 2023, the non-resident population stood at 1.77 million, an increase of 13.1 per cent from June 2022. The increase in the non-resident population was mainly due to foreign employment growth in Singapore from June 2022 to June 2023 (Chart 2). The increase was seen across all pass types, and the largest increase came from Work Permit Holders in the Construction, Marine Shipyard, and Process sectors, as contractors hired more workers to catch up on projects that were delayed by COVID-19. The remaining increases in foreign employment were spread across sectors as firms backfilled positions vacated by non-residents during the pandemic.

Chart 2: Foreign Employment Growth, as at June 2023 Source: Ministry of Manpower

The proportion of our citizen population aged 65 years and above is rising, and at a faster pace compared to the last decade. Large cohorts of “baby boomers” have begun entering the post-65 age range (Chart 3). Currently, 61.0 per cent of citizens are aged 20-64 years. This proportion has decreased from 64.9 per cent in 2013. Conversely, the proportion of citizens aged 65 and above has increased from 11.7 per cent in 2013 to 19.1 per cent in 2023. By 2030, around 1 in 4 citizens (24.1 per cent) will be aged 65 & above (Chart 4).

Chart 3: Citizen population by broad age groups, as at June 2023 Source: Department of Statistics

Chart 4: Citizen population by broad age bands, as at June*

Source: Department of Statistics. Figures may not sum up due to rounding.
Note: The 2030 numbers illustrate the possible change in the population that could occur if certain demographic assumptions prevail over the stated period. These assumptions may or may not be realised. This chart appears in Population in Brief 2023, and projections have been updated from Population in Brief 2022.

In 2022, there were 24,767 citizen marriages, 5.7 per cent more than the 23,433 citizen marriages in 2021 (Chart 5). The number of citizen marriages increased for the second consecutive year since 2020. The increase could have been contributed by couples resuming their marriage plans after disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the annual average number of citizen marriages in the last five years (22,700) remained lower than that in the preceding five years (23,600).

Chart 5: Citizen marriages, 2012 - 2022 Source: Department of Statistics
The figures are based on the full calendar year (January to December).

There were 30,429 citizen births in 2022, 4 per cent fewer than the 31,713 citizen births in 2021 (Chart 6). The annual average number of births in the last five years (31,800) was also lower than that in the preceding five years (32,700).

Chart 6: Citizen births, 2012 - 2022 Source: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority
The figures are based on the full calendar year (January to December).

The resident Total Fertility Rate (TFR), which has generally been declining over the past few decades, reached a historic low of 1.04 in 2022. The decline in 2022 coincided with the year of the Tiger in the Lunar calendar, which is generally associated with lower births among the Chinese.

These figures are from the annual Population in Brief 2023 publication, which provides key updates and trends on Singapore’s population.