Singapore’s population makeup of citizens, Permanent Residents (PRs), and Foreigners, is always a topic of hot debate.
It’s no secret that Singapore’s birth rate is extremely low – with a total fertility rate (TFR) of just 0.97 in 2024, well below the “replacement rate” of 2.1 that’s required to keep the population constant. At the same time, citizens are rapidly greying, ramping up pressure on a smaller number of younger working citizens. The old-age support ratio in Singapore has dipped to 3.3 residents aged 20-64 for every senior aged 65 and older.
With that in mind, when you flip through the Population in Brief 2025, there are a lot of data points that highlight a society in flux.
The report was published in September 2025 and is a joint publication by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Singapore Department of Statistics (DOS), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Immigration and Checkpoint Authority (ICA), and Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
Here are 10 revelations from the Population in Brief 2025 report that help us see where Singapore is headed.
#1 Citizen Population Ageing Fast
First off, it’s clear just how fast Singapore’s population is ageing. In June 2025, 20.7% of citizens were aged 65 or older, up sharply from 13.1% a decade ago.
More than one in five of Singaporeans are in the senior age bracket. Meanwhile, the number of citizens aged 80 and above leapt from 91,000 in 2015 to 145,000 in 2025.
Singapore’s median age is also creeping upwards, hitting 43.7 years in 2025 (up from 40.7 years in 2015).
The Singapore population is no longer simply just “getting older”. Instead, it is entering a new phase of super-aged society.
#2 Working-Age Base Is Shrinking
As you would expect, with an increasing number of seniors aged 65 and above, the working age population is shrinking. The proportion of citizens aged 20 to 64 has dropped off, as more are pushed into the retirement age bands.
This is the old-age support ratio – which has shrunk to 3.3 in 2025. Taking only citizens into consideration, this number dips to 2.9 working aged Singaporeans for every senior in Singapore.
This change puts the burden of Singapore’s tax take on fewer working adults which – in turn – have to support more dependents. This is true in both healthcare and in caregiving roles.
#3 Population Growth Stronger But Driven By Non-Residents
The report showed that while Singapore’s population growth is actually stronger, it’s not being driven by non-residents.
Singapore’s total population reached about 6.11 million in June 2025. But, the increase over the prior year (1.2%) is mainly down to the rise of non-resident numbers.
The number of Citizens grew a modest 0.7%, while the non-resident population jumped 2.7%. In other words, the engine of population growth is being powered more by foreign labour and non-residents.
#4 Permanent Resident Numbers Have Plateaued
The rising number of Singapore Permanent Residents (PRs) has been an issue under the spotlight in recent years but the numbers actually show that their numbers have levelled off. Unlike the non-resident component, the PR population has held steady at around 540,000.
That signals a cautious balancing act: Singapore relies on immigration to supplement our workforce but is still careful not to dilute social cohesion or overextend infrastructure.
#5 Marriage Being Delayed
Across the world, it’s not exactly a secret that people are either getting married later or not getting married at all, and Singapore is no exception to that rule.
In 2024, citizen marriages numbered 22,955, falling 5.7 % from 2023. Furthermore, the median age of a first marriage in Singapore also continued its upward climb. Now, grooms get married at a median age of 30.8 years, while brides get married at 29.1.
In the background, the proportion of singles (never married) is rising across age groups, particularly in the 25 to 34 segment.
#6 Cross-Border Unions More Common
Given Singapore is a global hub and has many non-residents, it’s no surprise to see cross-national marriages becoming more commonplace. In 2024, about 37% of citizen marriages in Singapore involved a non-citizen spouse.
Meanwhile, the share of inter-ethnic marriages has remained quite stable over the past decade, at about 19%. This reveals a society that transcends borders when it comes to personal relationships, even as policymakers negotiate integration and identity challenges.
#7 Childbearing Remains In Retreat
With an already-low birth rate, it’s perhaps rather alarming to see that child births from Singaporeans continues to remain anaemic. Citizen births in 2024 increased only slightly to 29,237, up 1.2% from 2023.
But this marginal uptick sits against a long-term decline: over the past decade, the average number of births per year has dropped drastically. The resident TFR holds at 0.97, well below the replacement threshold of 2.1. The TFR in 2014 was 1.25.
Elsewhere, mothers’ median age at first birth is 31.6 as women increasingly decide to give birth at a later age.
#8 Families Are Getting Smaller (Or Skipping Children)
Families in Singapore are getting smaller and that’s to be expected given the high costs and stresses of raising a child here.
Within the cohort of ever-married women aged 30 to 49, the shares of those having only one child or no children have increased over time.
Meanwhile, those having three or more children have declined, from 34.5 % in earlier years to just 20.6% in 2024. The pattern is clear; many are choosing to limit family size or to skip childbearing altogether.
Read Also: Understanding What The “Average” Singaporean’s Personal Finances Looks Like In 2024
#9 Citizenship And PR Admissions Modest But Steady
With Singapore’s powerful passport and attractiveness as a place to live long term, the Government faces a fine balancing act in terms of how many citizenships and PRs to grant.
In 2024, 22,766 individuals were granted citizenship in Singapore and 35,264 were granted permanent residency.
On average over the past five years, the numbers are a bit higher than in the preceding period. The Government continues to be selective while also realising the need for higher numbers of citizens and PRs over time.
#10 Overseas Singaporeans Remain Numerous
Beyond our shores, many Singaporeans live abroad, maintain foreign addresses, or travel for extended periods.
In 2024, 1,409 children born overseas to Singaporean parents were granted citizenship by descent.
The report’s inclusion of “citizenship by descent” in the Marriage & Parenthood section underscores that the concept of “home” is no longer strictly tethered to being resident in Singapore.
Today, there are 221,600 overseas-based Singaporeans – which is more than 6% of the overall citizen base.
A Tiny Red Dot In Transition
The latest Population in Brief 2025 report might give readers a sense of “tug of war” between forces: the priority of being able to grow its population versus the reality of ageing or the aspiration for larger families versus the constraints of cost and changing life priorities.
Whether it’s delayed marriage or childbearing, through to rethinking retirement and immigration policies, it’s clear that Singapore is a country in transition.
At the end of the day, that might not be such a huge surprise given Singapore has always stayed ahead by “reinventing” itself to thrive and stay globally competitive.
