While we usually tend to characterise housing estates based on the median prices of the different types of housing dwellings, the recent study by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) titled “The Cost Of Eating Out: Findings From The Makan Index 2.0” gave some food for thought by differentiating them based on the relative cost of food and drinks at hawker centres, kopitiams, and food courts within each neighbourhood.
This led us to wonder if we could rank the different housing estates in Singapore based on another variable—population density. Why? How often have we heard people around us (or it could even be us) complain about how generally crowded certain places in Singapore are?
Naturally, we would prefer to live in a less crowded environment, which means there’s less competition for amenities and a greater sense of exclusivity. Thankfully, the information on the population density of each housing estate can be found in the same IPS study; suffice it to say, the findings may surprise you.
Overall Singapore Population Density
Based on the Population Trends (2022) report by the Department of Statistics (DOS), Singapore’s current total population stands at 5,637,000, of which 4,073,200 are residents, comprising both Singapore citizens and permanent residents.
Since the 1970s, the total population has more than doubled, with a slight dip only in the non-resident population from 2020 to 2022 —possibly due to the COVID-19 measures, fewer foreign hires were made.
At the same time, the overall population density also doubled during the same time, from 3,538 persons per square kilometre (per sq km) in the 1970s to 7,688 persons per sq km in 2022. This puts us as the third most densely populated country in the world, with Macau and Monaco taking the top two spots with 21,054 and 19,493 persons per sq km, respectively.
Most Dense Estates In Singapore
Among the 26 towns in Singapore with an average density of 12,809 persons per square kilometre, the following are the top 5 towns with the highest density:
Region | Resident Population | Geographical Size (km²) | Population Density (km²) |
Choa Chu Kang | 189,000 | 6.12 | 31,000 |
Sengkang | 252,730 | 10.60 | 23,800 |
Punggol | 185,810 | 9.23 | 20,100 |
Woodlands | 252,190 | 13.57 | 18,600 |
Jurong West | 258,240 | 14.68 | 17,600 |
Notable Observations:
> Contrary to what we might believe, the top 5 dense towns are in fact non-mature towns in the western and northern regions of Singapore.
> Though Choa Chu Kang is the most crowded town in Singapore, with 31,000 persons per sq km, it has a smaller resident population compared to the other towns on the list. However, at 6.12 km2, it is also one of the two smallest towns by geographical size, which pushes the density up.
> In comparison, Jurong West has the second largest resident population in Singapore at 258,240; however, it is more than double in size compared to Choa Chu Kang, thereby causing its population density to be half that of Choa Chu Kang.
> Among the top 5 dense towns, Woodlands has a larger number of food establishments (a total of 39), consisting of hawker centres, food courts, and kopitiams, while Punggol has the fewest, with a total of 20.
Least Dense Estates In Singapore
Among the 26 towns in Singapore with an average density of 12,809 persons per square kilometre, the following are the 5 least dense towns:
Region | Resident Population | Geographical Size (km²) | Population Density (km²) |
Jurong East | 76,390 | 17.33 | 4,410 |
Queenstown | 96,730 | 21.55 | 4,490 |
Bukit Timah | 79,270 | 17.52 | 4,520 |
Novena | 50,580 | 8.97 | 5,640 |
Marine Parade | 45,850 | 6.12 | 7,490 |
Notable Observations:
> Aside from Jurong East, which is given a non-mature town classification by HDB, the other towns in the least dense list are mature towns.
> Though Jurong East may not be the smallest by population size at 76,390 compared to Marine Parade, which has 45,850, its geographical area is larger than the average town size of 12.77 km2, thereby causing it to have the least population density among the 26 towns.
> Jurong East is the only town in Singapore without any landed housing.
> On the other hand, condominiums and landed houses make up the biggest portion of the different types of housing units in Bukit Timah.
> Bukit Timah and Marine Parade have one of the fewest numbers of food establishments in Singapore, at 5 and 8, respectively.
How Singapore’s Population White Paper May Affect Population Density In The Future
As outlined in the 2013 Population White Paper, Singapore’s population size is projected to reach between 6.5 and 6.9 million people by 2030.
While this may induce a fear of overcrowding among some, the government has already set aside sufficient land to build up to 700,000 new homes from 2013 to 2030 and more if needed to address the housing needs of this growing population.
Aside from expanding current towns like Punggol and Jurong West, new towns and estates will also be opened at Bidadari, Tampines North, Tengah, and Paya Lebar to accommodate the growing housing needs. There are also plans for more land reclamation and redevelopment along the new growth corridors in the north (from Woodlands to Punggol) and in the south (from Tanjong Pagar to Pasir Panjang Terminal) to meet the increased demand for housing after 2030.
Along with housing, the infrastructure will also be improved to accommodate the larger population. For example, new rail networks will be built, and older housing developments will be improved with better amenities. Hence, while the overall population density may certainly go up in the future, it is not the only telling sign of the liveability condition in Singapore.
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