KEY DEMOGRAPHIC INDICATORS, 1970 2012

Population

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

2011

2012

2,074.5
2,013.6
1,874.8
138.8

2,413.9
2,282.1
2,194.3
87.8

3,047.1
2,735.9
2,623.7
112.1

4,027.9
3,273.4
2,985.9
287.5

5,076.7
3,771.7
3,230.7
541.0

5,183.7
3,789.3
3,257.2
532.0

5,312.4
3,818.2
3,285.1
533.1

3,538

3,907

4,814

5,900

7,126

7,257

n.a.

1,049

1,032

1,027

998

974

972

970

19.5

24.4

29.8

34.0

37.4

38.0

38.4

Old-Age Support Ratio

(Per elderly aged 65 years & over)
Persons aged 15 64 years
Persons aged 20 64 years

17.0
13.5

13.8
11.3

11.8
10.5

9.9
9.0

8.2
7.4

7.9
7.2

7.4
6.7

Proportion of Singles Among Residents

Aged 35 39 Years5 (%)
Males
Females

10.8
5.1

10.5
8.5

18.1
14.8

19.7
15.1

20.4
17.1

20.3
16.9

n.a.
n.a.

Highest Qualification Attained of Resident

Non-Student Population Aged 25 Years & Over
Total (%)
Below Secondary
Secondary
Post-Secondary (Non-Tertiary)
Diploma & Professional Qualification
University

n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.

100.0
83.1
9.5

2.7

100.0
63.3
23.6
4.7
3.6
4.7

100.0
45.3
24.0
8.9
9.8
12.1

100.0
34.5
19.0
9.5
13.3
23.7

100.0
33.4
19.6
8.9
13.6
24.5

n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.

Mean Years of Schooling Among Resident

Non-Student Population Aged 25 Years & Over
Total (Years)
Males
Females

n.a.
n.a.
n.a.

5.3
6.1
4.6

6.6
7.3
5.9

8.6
9.2
8.1

10.1
10.6
9.7

10.2
10.7
9.7

n.a.
n.a.
n.a.

Households & Housing

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

2011

2012

Resident Households6 ('000)

380.5

472.7

661.7

915.1

1,145.9

1,146.2

n.a.

5.4

4.9

4.2

3.7

3.5

3.5

n.a.

Home Ownership Rate (%)

29.4

58.8

87.5

92.0

87.2

88.6

n.a.

Resident Households6 Living in HDB

4-Room / Larger Flats & Private Housing (%)

18.9

24.1

51.5

67.9

74.4

74.3

n.a.

Total Population1,2,3 ('000)

Resident Population2,3 ('000)
Singapore Citizens ('000)
Singapore Permanent Residents ('000)
Density (Total population per sq km)
4

Sex Ratio (Males per 1,000 females)

4

Median Age (Years)

4

Average Household Size (Persons)

6

4.7*

* Data refer to Post-Secondary (Non-Tertiary), Diploma & Professional Qualification.

Notes:
1) Total population comprises Singapore residents (i.e. Singapore citizens and permanent residents) and non-residents.
2) Data for 1970 and 1980 are based on de facto concept (i.e. the person is present in the country when enumerated at the
reference period). Data for 1990 onwards are based on de jure concept (i.e. the persons place of usual residence).
3) Data from 2003 onwards exclude residents who have been away from Singapore for a continuous period of 12 months or
longer as at the reference period.
4) Data refer to resident population.
5) Data refer to resident population, except for 1970 which refer to total population.
6) Data refer to resident households (i.e. households headed by a Singapore citizen or permanent resident), except for 1970
which refer to private households.

Singapore Department of Statistics

Population Trends 2012 v

KEY DEMOGRAPHIC INDICATORS, 1970 2012 (contd)

Family Formation and Dissolution7

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

2011

14,572

22,444

23,953

22,561

24,363

27,258

General Marriage Rate

Males (Per 1,000 unmarried resident males)
Females (Per 1,000 unmarried resident females)

51.6
67.3

55.0
68.9

52.6
60.9

48.1
49.9

39.4
37.2

43.7
41.4

Median Age at First Marriage10 (Years)

Grooms
Brides

26.9
23.1

26.7
23.6

28.0
25.3

28.7
26.2

30.0
27.7

30.1
28.0

Total Divorces & Annulments11

n.a.

1,721

3,634

5,137

7,338

7,604

n.a.
n.a.

3.7
3.8

6.1
6.1

6.5
6.5

7.5
7.2

7.6
7.2

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

2011

45,934

41,217

51,142

46,997

37,967

39,654

n.a.

40,100

49,787

44,765

35,129

36,178

Crude Birth Rate (Per 1,000 residents)

22.1

17.6

18.2

13.7

9.3

9.5

Total Fertility Rate5 (Per female)

3.07

1.82

1.83

1.60

1.15

1.20

1.49

0.88

0.88

0.77

0.56

0.58

1.42

0.86

0.88

0.77

0.55

0.58

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

2011

10,717

12,505

13,891

15,693

17,610

18,027

5.2

4.9

4.7

4.5

4.4

4.5

Infant Mortality Rate

(Per 1,000 resident live-births)

20.5

8.0

6.6

2.5

2.0

2.0

Life Expectancy at Birth5 (Years)

Males
Females

65.8
64.1
67.8

72.1
69.8
74.7

75.3
73.1
77.6

78.0
76.0
80.0

81.7
79.2
84.0

82.0 p
79.6 p
84.3 p

Total Marriages8
9

11,12

General Divorce Rate

Males (Per 1,000 married resident males)
Females (Per 1,000 married resident females)

Fertility7
Total Live-Births
Resident Live-Births
5

Gross Reproduction Rate (Per female)

5

Net Reproduction Rate (Per female)

Mortality7
Total Deaths
5

Crude Death Rate (Per 1,000 residents)

5

Notes (contd):
7) Data for 2012 are not available.
8) Total marriages comprise civil marriages registered under the Womens Charter and Muslim marriages registered under
the Administration of Muslim Law Act. Data exclude marriages which were contracted overseas or under religious and
customary rites and were subsequently registered in Singapore in the reference year.
9) Data are based on resident grooms/brides and resident population, except for 1970 and 1980 which are based on total
grooms/brides and total population.
10) Data refer to total marriages.
11) Data on divorces for 1994-2010 and data on annulments for 2008 have been revised in 2012 following the inclusion of
new information from administrative data sources.
12) Data are based on divorces and annulments. From 2004 onwards, data are based on divorces and annulments where
either or both spouses are residents.

vi Population Trends 2012

Singapore Department of Statistics