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SINGAPORE – Singapore’s non-resident population fell 2.1 percent to 1.64 million, causing the total population to drop to 5.69 million over the past year through June.
The Covid-19 pandemic also prompted more Singaporeans abroad to return home, with their number falling from 217,200 in 2019 to 203,500 in 2020.
The decline occurred across all age groups, but was most pronounced among those aged 20-24, said the government’s annual Population Brief report released Thursday (September 24).
There was also slower growth in the total number of Singaporeans abroad from 2015 to 2020, compared to the previous five-year period.
Overall, Singapore’s total population declined by 0.3%, the first time it has entered negative territory in the past 10 years.
This was mainly due to a reduction in foreign employment in the service sector. In terms of pass types, the biggest drop was for work permit holders.
These trends were primarily due to challenges related to Covid-19, triggered by weak demand and travel restrictions, according to the report.
The number of citizens grew 0.6% to 3.52 million in June.
The permanent resident population (PR) remained stable at 0.52 million.
The report noted that since Singapore’s immigration framework tightened in late 2009, the country has accepted around 30,000 new PRs a year.
It read: “This keeps the PR population size stable and provides a pool of candidates who may be suitable for citizenship. Most of our PRs are between the ages of 25 and 59.
“The pace of immigration will continue to be measured and very stable, so that Singapore will remain a cohesive society and a good home for all Singaporeans.”
Last year, 22,714 people were granted citizenship and 32,915 were granted RP, numbers that have been largely stable since 2012.
Of these, 1,599 or 7% of the new citizens were children born abroad to Singaporean parents.
The population growth rate during the last five years was also slower compared to the previous five-year period.
With increasing life expectancy and low fertility rates, the number of citizens aged 65 and over is increasing, and at a faster rate compared to the last decade.
As the largest cohorts of baby boomers move into the age bracket after 65, the proportion of citizens in this group increased from 10.1% in 2010 to 16.8% in 2020.
This figure is projected to rise to around 23.7 percent in 10 years.
In line with the aging of the population, the average age of citizens also increased from 42 to 42.2 years in the last year.
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