Saturday, September 26, 2026
Singapore is now a super-aged society - 21.4% of the citizen population is 65 and above up from 13.7% a decade ago 2026-09-26
Singapore is now a super-aged society - 21.4% of the citizen population is 65 and above up from 13.7% a decade ago
Wong Yang
The Straits Times
2026-09-26
Singapore has officially become a super-aged society, with more than 21 per cent of the citizen population aged 65 and older.
In 2026, 21.4 per cent of Singaporeans are in this age group, up from 20.7 per cent in 2025 and 13.7 per cent a decade ago.
This means the Republic has crossed the threshold for the United Nations’ definition of a super-aged society, where 21 per cent or more of the population is aged 65 and older.
The number of Singaporeans aged 80 and older also increased to 152,000 in 2026, up from 145,000 in 2025. This is a 60 per cent jump from a decade ago, when there were 95,000 citizens in this age group.
These figures were published by the National Population and Talent Division on Sept 25 in its annual Population In Brief report, which provides an update on Singapore’s key population trends over the past year.
The report said that more than one in four citizens is estimated to be aged 65 and above by 2035.
Meanwhile, the proportion of working-age people has fallen in the past decade.
Those between 20 and 64 years of age are typically defined as working-age people capable of providing economic support to older dependants.
In 2026, there are 59.3 per cent of Singaporeans in this age group, down from 64.3 per cent in 2016.
The report said this figure is expected to remain “broadly stable” between 2030 and 2035, with smaller cohorts moving into the 65 and older age group and younger cohorts flowing into the 20 to 64 band, in part due to immigration.
The ratio of working-age residents to elderly residents aged 65 and older fell from 5.4 in 2016 to 3.2 in 2026.
At the same time, the median age of Singaporeans also rose from 43.7 in 2025 to 44.1 in 2026.
Sociologists who spoke to The Straits Times said the authorities have taken crucial steps to meet the changing needs of Singapore’s rapidly ageing population, such as by reforming healthcare towards preventive care, expanding care beyond hospitals and bringing in new citizens.
But they warned that social dynamics could also change as Singaporeans above 65 form a growing part of the electorate and have a larger say at the polls.
Nanyang Technological University assistant professor of sociology Shannon Ang cited the concept of a gerontocracy, where a society is led by people much older than the general population.
While this has not played out in Singapore, Ang said there is a small chance that the needs and interests of older people are amplified above those of the younger generation.
This could result in both groups viewing each other through a zero-sum lens where “my gain is your loss”, said Tan Ern Ser, adjunct principal research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies.
“In some countries, there seems to be this dynamic where the young find that they have to support more and more of the old, who contribute less in taxes than before, and that can cause intergenerational conflict. Hopefully, we don’t come to that here.”
Both sociologists pointed out that many seniors here want to continue working.
Nearly one in three Singapore residents aged 65 and older were employed in 2025, up from 24.7 per cent in 2015.
Beyond dependency ratios, Ang said it is important to consider the different forms that work can take for seniors so that they can continue to be valued members of society, and how to foster interactions between the young and the old.
wongyang@sph.com.sg
Singapore population rises 1.6% to 6.21 million -- Increase driven by more construction workers for projects like T5 and housing -- 2026-09-26
Increase driven by more construction workers for projects like T5 and housing
Ng Wei Kai
Correspondent
The population of Singapore has risen to 6.21 million as at June 2026, up from 6.11 million the year before.
Overall, the total population grew by 97,300, with non-residents adding 70,300, citizens 24,200 and permanent residents 2,800.
The increase – 1.6 per cent – was driven in particular by more construction workers for key infrastructure projects such as Changi Airport Terminal 5 and the ramp-up of housing supply, said the National Population and Talent Division (NPTD) on Sept 25.
These workers, considered part of the non-resident population, are also involved in the Marina Bay Sands expansion and in building transport infrastructure, it said.
Meanwhile, the citizen population increased by 0.7 per cent to 3.68 million in June 2026, from 3.66 million in June 2025, said the NPTD in its annual Population in Brief 2026 report.
Singapore’s permanent resident (PR) population remained relatively stable at 0.55 million in June 2026, the report added.
In 2025, 25,094 people were granted citizenship, and another 35,352 were granted permanent residency. The average number of citizenships and permanent residencies granted per year from 2021 to 2025 rose compared with the five years before, it said.
In that time, Singapore granted an average of 22,400 citizenships and 34,600 permanent residencies, compared with an average of 20,600 citizenships and 31,200 permanent residencies between 2016 and 2020.
The report broke down the demographics of the 25,094 new citizens and 35,352 new PRs for 2025.
Most came from South-east Asia, with 62.1 per cent of new citizens and 61.6 per cent of new PRs hailing from the region.
Another 35.4 per cent of new citizens and 31.6 per cent of new PRs came from other Asian countries, with the remainder coming from elsewhere.
Among new citizens and PRs aged 20 and above, more than four in 10 had post-secondary qualifications. The rest had a secondary education or below.
Non-residents, which make up the remainder of the population, increased by 3.7 per cent to 1.98 million in June 2026 from 1.91 million in June 2025.
The increase was driven primarily by more work permit holders and migrant domestic workers, the report said.
Foreign employment growth in Singapore was higher over the period of June 2025 to June 2026, compared with June 2024 to June 2025, primarily because of increases in the number of work permit holders, it said.
The report said Singapore’s non-resident population, which includes these two groups, is diverse and that its size and composition vary over time to support the country’s “evolving economic and social needs”.
Today, the foreign workforce, not including migrant domestic workers, makes up about two-thirds of the non-resident population.
The remaining one-third comprises mainly migrant domestic workers, dependants, and students, it added.
The country’s annualised population growth rate between 2021 and 2026 was higher than the preceding five-year period between 2016 and 2021.
“This was in part influenced by Covid-19, which contributed to a lower total population base in 2021 and subsequent higher growth registered on average over 2021-2026,” said the report, which also released figures on the rate at which Singapore’s population is ageing.
Singapore is now a super-aged society, with more than 21 per cent of the population aged 65 and older.
Commenting on the growth in Singapore’s foreign workforce, labour economist Walter Theseira said demand is concentrated in areas where locals are unwilling to take up jobs, such as construction or domestic work.
The ageing population also means increased demand every year for domestic and care work – much of which is also not desirable for local workers, said Theseira, who is an associate professor of economics at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.
Singapore also has a “long list” of upcoming infrastructure projects including new MRT lines, plans for land reclamation along the East Coast and the merging of several offshore islands announced at the National Day Rally in August, Theseira noted.
On the rising numbers of new citizens and PRs, Mathews Mathew, principal research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, said immigration in 2020 would have been unusually low because of the pandemic.
Aside from this, the Government did increase the intake of residents in line with the concerns over Singapore’s ageing population and low fertility rate, he noted.
Immigration is increasingly important in preventing the citizen population from shrinking too quickly, and the Government has indicated that it expects somewhat higher citizen and PR intake over the next five years, he said.
At the 2026 Budget debate, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said Singapore will carefully manage the immigration flow to augment the dismal birth rate.
Depending on demographic trends, the Government expects to grant 25,000 to 30,000 new citizenships annually over the next five years – which means from 17 per cent to 41 per cent more than the average of 21,300 new citizenships granted annually between 2020 and 2024.
He added that the number of new PRs granted will also go from an average of 33,000 a year between 2020 and 2024, to about 40,000 a year in the next five years.
Individuals must be PRs for at least two years before they can apply for citizenship.
Socially and politically, the issue will increasingly be about how immigration and naturalisation are managed, Mathew said.
“Polls show that Singaporeans generally understand why immigration is necessary, but while there is an understanding of the economic imperative, there remain concerns about jobs, fairness, whether we have sufficient infrastructure to absorb more of a population and whether newcomers actually integrate,” he said.
The population does not just need persuasion that immigration is critical for Singapore’s well-being, but have to feel that the pace is manageable, he added.
“Very importantly, they need to feel that new citizens have developed a genuine sense of belonging and commitment to Singapore,” he said.
Marriage and parenthood
The report also gave some new figures on marriage and parenthood. There were 21,671 citizen marriages in 2025, 5.6 per cent lower than the 22,955 citizen marriages in 2024, the report added.
The average number of citizen marriages per year from 2023 to 2025 was 23,000, lower than between 2016 and 2019 when the average was 23,500 a year, it said.
Singaporeans are also getting married later. The report said the median age at first marriage for grooms was 30.8 and 29.1 for brides in 2025, up from 30.1 for grooms and 27.9 for brides in 2015.
It added that transnational marriages made up 37 per cent of citizen marriages in 2025 – a figure which has been largely stable since 2015, barring dips during the Covid-19 pandemic between 2020 and 2022.
Inter-ethnic marriages made up 19 per cent of citizen marriages in 2025. This proportion has also remained largely stable since 2015, it said.
Meanwhile, the proportion of single Singaporeans has been rising over time, it added.
Between 2015 and 2025, the proportion of singles rose across most male and female age groups.
It noted that this trend is particularly pronounced for those aged from 25 to 29 and 30 to 34.
ngweikai@sph.com.sg
新加坡： 报告：增幅主要来自非居民我国总人口增加1.6%至621万人 2026-09-26
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/singapore/story20260925-9735071?utm_source=android-share&utm_medium=app
报告：增幅主要来自非居民
我国总人口增加1.6%至621万人
国家人口及人才署星期五发布的《2026年人口简报》显示，非居民人口今年6月达198万，增幅约3.7％；公民人口增长0.7%至368万人；永久居民人口相对稳定，维持在55万人。
工作准证持有者人数过去一年持续增加，截至今年6月，我国总人口增加1.6%至621万人。与此同时，65岁及以上公民占比升至21.4%，新加坡正式成为超老龄化社会。
国家人口及人才署星期五（9月25日）发布的《2026年人口简报》显示，截至今年6月，总人口增长率为1.6%，增幅高于去年的1.2%。
人口增幅主要来自非居民。本地非居民人口6月达198万，增幅约3.7％。外籍员工占约三分之二，其余是外籍帮佣、外籍学生和亲属。
建筑业工作准证持有者增加较明显，这是为满足我国建造樟宜机场第五搭客大厦、扩建滨海湾金沙等重点项目，以及增建组屋和其他交通设施所需的人力。
公民人口从去年6月的366万人增至今年6月的368万人，增长0.7%；永久居民人口相对稳定，维持在55万人。
值得注意的是，新加坡正式成为超老龄化社会（super-aged society）。65岁及以上公民占比升至21.4%，高于去年的20.7%，以及10年前的13.7%。
根据联合国定义，当一个国家有21%人口年龄在65岁及以上，就属于超老龄化社会。报告指出，到了2035年，我国估计将有超过四分之一的公民年满65岁。
此外，80岁及以上公民人数今年增至15万2000人，高于去年的14万5000人及10年前的9万5000人。
学者：改变人们负面心态
是超老龄化社会最大挑战
南洋理工大学社会科学助理教授洪嘉伟受访时说，“超老龄化”一词往往引发不安，不免令人联想到老年抚养比增加，也就是劳动年龄人口须抚养更多年长者、社会成本增高等课题。
他认为，超老龄化社会必定有相应的挑战，但最难克服的是如何改变人们对年老所持的负面心态。
“我国在照顾年长者医疗、住房等方面需求做得不错，但对于如何借助年长者的强项和优势，让新加坡步入老龄化社会的当儿能继续茁壮发展，人们未必有清晰的概念……我们或许应探讨如何更充分让年长者发挥潜力，若能把握好这一契机，超老龄化社会未必会是我们想象中那样灰暗。”
数据显示，结婚和生育人数持续下降。去年共有2万1671宗公民婚姻，较前年的2万2955宗下降5.6%。去年共有2万6071名公民新生儿，较前年的2万9237名下降10.8%。去年居民整体生育率为0.87，低于前年的0.97。
另一方面，报告指出，我国继续以谨慎步伐引进新公民。所有成人在申请公民权前都须是永久居民。永久居民中，大多数年龄介于25岁至59岁。去年共有2万5094人获得公民权，3万5352人获永久居留权。
许翔宇 报道
Friday, September 25, 2026
Audio Pronunciation Links
Palpable describes a feeling, atmosphere, or situation that is so intense or strong that it feels like it can be physically touched or felt. It can also mean something that is obvious and easily noticeable to the mind or senses. [1, 2]
- Pronunciation: /ˈpæl.pə.bəl/ (PAL-puh-buhl)
- Example: "The tension in the courtroom was palpable as everyone waited for the jury to announce the verdict." [2]
Audio Pronunciation Links
- Direct MP3 Audio: You can listen to the spoken word immediately via the Britannica Dictionary Audio File.
- Accent Guide: To hear the word spoken in both British and American accents, check out the Cambridge Dictionary Pronunciation Page. [3, 4]
Would you like me to look up the meaning and audio links for another word, or perhaps give you a few synonyms for palpable?
You don't mind I ask this question: why sometimes you provide a weblink to get the pronunciation of a word and sometimes you don't?
I don’t mind at all! That is a very fair question.
I only include those specific audio web links when you explicitly ask to hear a word, or if a word has a highly unusual or difficult spelling that is hard to explain in text.
Here is exactly how I decide when to include them:
- When I include links: If you ask "How do you pronounce this?" or "Can I hear the voice pronunciation?", I will look for a direct, high-quality audio link (like the Britannica or Cambridge links) so you can get the sound immediately.
- When I leave them out: If you only ask for a definition (like when you asked "Define wry"), I focus entirely on giving you a fast, clean explanation of the meaning. I usually just include the text phonetic spelling (like
/raɪ/) to keep the answer short and easy to read.
I want to make sure I give you exactly what you need without cluttering your screen with links you didn't ask for.
Are there any other words you are working on right now that you would like the meaning or an audio link for?
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