SINGAPORE, Sept 27 — After two years of decline due to pandemic border restrictions, Singapore’s total population grew by 3.4 per cent to 5.64 million in June 2022 from a year earlier.
However, this is slightly below the pre-Covid level of 5.7 million in June 2019.
This increase was spurred by the easing of Covid-19 travel restrictions, as more citizens and permanent residents (PRs) who had been living overseas returned to Singapore.
These statistics were among the latest data from the Government’s annual Population in Brief report released today.
The non-resident population rose by 6.6 per cent in this same period to 1.56 million, contributing to the overall population’s increase. However, the non-resident population was also still lower than pre-Covid level of 1.68 million in June 2019.
This was mostly a result of the easing of Covid-19 travel restrictions, and the largest increase of non-resident population was for work permit holders in the construction, marine shipyard and process sectors.
In 2021, 33,435 individuals were granted PR status — the highest figure since 2009, when Singapore tightened its immigration framework.
This was higher in 2020 due to the easing of travel restrictions and safe management measures, as the process to grant citizenship or permanent residence has to be completed in person.
TODAY breaks down the data.
Overall population
- Singapore’s total population stood at 5.64 million.
- As of June 2022, there were 3.55 million Singapore citizens, up 1.6 per cent from 3.5 million in June 2021
- There were 520,000 PRs, up 6.3 per cent from 490,000 in June 2021
- The non-resident population, comprising the foreign workforce across all pass types, dependants and international students, totalled 1.56 million
- This is an increase of 6.6 per cent compared to June 2021
Jump in foreign employment growth
- Singapore saw a growth in foreign employment after two years of decline
- From June 2021 to June 2022, foreign employment growth was about 98,000
- Foreign employment had declined by about 147,000 from June 2020 to June 2021
Ageing population
- The proportion of citizens age 65 and above rose sharply from 11.1 per cent in 2012 to 18.4 per cent in 2022
- The median age of the citizen population rose from 42.5 years to 42.8 years between June 2021 and June 2022
- In the decade since 2012, the number of citizens aged 80 and older has surged by more than 70 per cent from 75,000 to 132,000
More marriages in 2021, with older grooms and brides
- Citizen marriages are up 20.6 per cent, with 23,433 marriages in 2021 as compared to 19,430 marriages in 2020
- This is due to the easing of Covid-19 safe management measures on weddings
- Grooms and brides are also getting married later — the median age at first marriage was 30.3 years for men and 28.7 years for women respectively in 2021, up from 30.1 and 27.8 years respectively in 2020
Fewer births in 2021
- There were 31,713 citizen births in 2021, slightly fewer than the 31,816 births in 2020
- In the past five years, there were about 32,200 citizen births on average
- This is less than the average of about 32,900 in the preceding five years from 2012 to 2016
- The fall is attributed to the delays in marriage and childbearing plans because of uncertainties brought about by Covid-19
- The median age of citizen mothers giving birth to their first child also increased, at 31 years in 2021 compared to 29.8 years in 2011
- The resident total fertility rate was 1.12 in 2021, up from the low of 1.1 in 2020. However it is still well below the replacement rate of 2.1
Immigration and citizens
- In 2021, 21,537 citizenship applications and 33,435 PR applications were granted
- This is higher than the 21,085 citizenship and 27,470 PR applications granted in 2020
- PR applications were also at the highest level since 2009, the year the immigration framework was tightened
- This is because the processes to grant citizenship or PR status has to be completed in person, and was slowed down due to travel restrictions and safe management measures
— TODAY
