Singapore has a population of approximately 6 million people in 2025, ranking it around the 113th most populous country in the world. What makes this figure remarkable is not its size but its concentration: those 6 million residents are packed into just 733 square kilometres, making Singapore one of the most densely populated sovereign nations on Earth.
How Many People Live in Singapore?
Singapore's total population sits near 6 million, a number that includes citizens, permanent residents, and a large body of foreign workers and professionals. Of this total, roughly 71 percent are citizens or permanent residents, while the remaining share are non-resident workers, students, and dependants who live in the country without long-term status. This blend is central to how Singapore functions. The city-state deliberately uses immigration to supplement a small citizen base, and roughly three in ten residents hold no Singaporean citizenship at all.
To put the scale in perspective, 6 million people would barely register as a mid-sized province in larger nations, yet Singapore concentrates them on an island roughly half the area of Greater London. The result is a population density of more than 8,000 people per square kilometre, a figure exceeded only by a handful of microstates such as Monaco.
Population Growth and Fertility
Singapore's population is currently growing at a modest annual rate of around 0.79 percent, a pace that masks a deeper demographic challenge. The country's resident total fertility rate has fallen to roughly 1.0 births per woman, far below the replacement level of 2.1 and among the lowest figures recorded anywhere in the world. Without intervention, natural decline would set in quickly.
The government bridges this gap through carefully managed immigration, using policy levers to recruit skilled workers and selectively grant permanent residency and citizenship. This is why Singapore's headline population keeps rising even as births fail to keep pace with deaths among an aging citizenry. Official planning scenarios have suggested the population could reach around 6.9 million by 2030, though actual outcomes depend heavily on economic conditions and immigration settings that shift over time.
A Multiethnic, Multilingual Society
Singapore's demographics are multiethnic by design, shaped by a model the country calls CMIO (Chinese, Malay, Indian, Others). Roughly 74 percent of the resident population is ethnically Chinese, about 13 percent Malay, around 9 percent Indian, and the remainder a mix of other backgrounds including Eurasians. This mosaic is reflected in four official languages: English, Mandarin Chinese, Malay, and Tamil, with English serving as the working language of government, business, and schooling.
Religion is similarly varied. Buddhism is the most widely followed faith at roughly 31 percent of residents, followed by sizeable Christian and Muslim communities, a significant Hindu minority, and a large group, close to one in five, who report no religious affiliation. This diversity coexists within a compact urban space, supported by policies that mix ethnic groups within public housing estates to discourage segregation.
Where Singaporeans Live
Because Singapore is a city-state, the country and its capital are one and the same. There are no separate cities to rank; instead, the population is distributed across planning areas and new towns. The Central Area forms the commercial and financial core, anchored by the Marina Bay waterfront and its iconic skyline. Beyond it lie large residential towns such as Tampines, Bedok, and Jurong, each home to hundreds of thousands of people.
A defining feature of Singaporean life is public housing. Around 80 percent of the resident population lives in flats built by the Housing and Development Board (HDB), one of the highest rates of public housing residency in the world. These estates are not marginal social housing but the mainstream form of home ownership, with most flats sold on long leases to citizens. The aging of this population is a growing concern: the median age has climbed to roughly 42 years, and the share of residents over 65 continues to rise. For more on the country itself, see our singapore country guide.
Land, Density, and the Sea
Singapore's relationship with its limited land defines its demographic story. Since independence in 1965, the nation has expanded its land area by roughly a quarter through reclamation, literally building new ground out of the sea to house people and industry. Even so, space remains scarce, and high-rise living is the norm rather than the exception. This scarcity helps explain both the extraordinary density and the country's intensive, vertical approach to urban planning, transport, and green space.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of Singapore in 2025?
Singapore's population is approximately 6 million people in 2025, including citizens, permanent residents, and non-resident workers. Citizens and permanent residents together make up roughly 71 percent of the total.
Why is Singapore so densely populated?
With about 6 million people on just 733 square kilometres, Singapore has a density above 8,000 people per square kilometre. As a city-state with very limited land, it relies on high-rise public housing and continual land reclamation to accommodate its residents.
Is Singapore's population growing or shrinking?
The population is still growing slowly, at around 0.79 percent per year, but this is driven largely by immigration. With a fertility rate near 1.0, far below replacement level, Singapore would otherwise face natural population decline.
What is the largest ethnic group in Singapore?
Ethnic Chinese form the largest group at roughly 74 percent of the resident population, followed by Malays at about 13 percent and Indians at around 9 percent, with smaller communities making up the rest.