Singapore population rises by 3.4 per cent after two years of decline

Singapores population grew by 3.4 per cent to touch 5.64 million as of June this year, after witnessing two straight years of decline due to the pandemic, according to an annual report issued by the National Population and Talent Division on Tuesday. Despite the growth, the total population in Singapore remained slightly lower than the pre-COVID level of 5.7 million as of June 2019, the report said.

Singapore's population grew by 3.4 per cent to touch 5.64 million as of June this year, after witnessing two straight years of decline due to the pandemic, according to an annual report issued by the National Population and Talent Division on Tuesday. The number of citizens rose by 1.6 per cent to 3.55 million in June this year, while the non-resident population grew by 6.6 per cent during the same period, due to the easing of travel restrictions and the government's move to attract talented workforce from overseas. Nevertheless, it still remained below the pre-COVID levels of 1.68 million in June 2019.

The largest increase was seen for work permit holders in the construction and marine shipyard sectors, which typically employ a large number of South Asian migrant workers including those from India, Channel News Asia reported, citing the report. Despite the growth, the total population in Singapore remained slightly lower than the pre-COVID level of 5.7 million as of June 2019, the report said. The total population growth rate over the past five years, from 2017 to 2022, was slower compared with the preceding five-year period, it said. Excluding the effects of COVID-19 from June 2019 to June 2021, the compound annual growth rate for the total population between June 2017 and June 2019 was 0.8 per cent. This was already lower than the compound annual growth rate of 1.1 per cent between June 2012 and June 2017, it added. Meanwhile, Singapore's population is ageing rapidly, with the proportion of citizens aged 65 and above increasing to 18.4 per cent in 2022, according to the report by The Straits Times newspaper. This is a spike from 11.1 per cent in 2012, said the annual 'Population In Brief' report released on Tuesday. It was 17.6 per cent in 2021. By 2030, around one in four citizens, or 23.8 per cent, will be aged 65 and above, the report said. The number of citizens aged 80 and above has increased by more than 70 per cent from 2012 to 132,000, constituting up to 3.7 per cent of the affluent city-state's population, it added.

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