Singapore population hits record 6.21 million, driven by rise in foreign residents

Singapore: Singapore's population rose 1.6% 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% increase in the number of foreign residents, reaching a total of 1.98 million.


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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 plans to 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% in the second quarter of 2026 even though retrenchments over the period hit their highest level since the middle of the COVID pandemic in 2020.

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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% in 2026 from 18.8% in 2025 and 12.4% in 2016.

Singapore raised its 2026 economic growth forecast in August to 4.5% to 5.5% from 2.0% to 4.0% after the economy grew faster than initially estimated in the second quarter.