Published : 25 Sep 2026, 02:35 PM
Updated : 25 Sep 2026, 02:35 PM
Singapore's population rose 1.6 percent in June compared to a year ago, hitting a new high of 6.21 million, government statistics released on Friday showed.
Singapore has experienced steady population growth since the end of the pandemic, when it lifted tough restrictions that kept foreigners away and led to rare population declines.
• The statistics for June showed that the rise was driven by a 3.7 percent increase in the number of foreign residents, reaching a total of 1.98 million.
• Increases in the number of foreigners in land-scarce Singapore can be a bugbear for political leaders, especially when voters are insecure about jobs and the cost of living.
• In 2013, the normally orderly island nation saw protests against plansto allow a dramatic increase in immigration that would boost the population to 6.9 million by 2030.
• Unemployment rates in Singapore remained low at 1.9 percent in the second quarter of 2026 even thoughretrenchmentsover the period hit their highest level since the middle of the COVID pandemic in 2020.
• Singapore has said it wants to grant citizenship to up to 30,000 people per year over the next five years to deal with demographic issues, including low birth rates and an ageing population.
• As of June 2026, the proportion of Singaporeans and permanent residents above the age of 65 rose to 19.5 percent in 2026 from 18.8 percent in 2025 and 12.4 percent in 2016.
• Singapore raised its 2026 economic growth forecast in August to 4.5 percent to 5.5 percent from 2.0 percent to 4.0 percent after the economy grew faster than initially estimatedin the second quarter.
