Statistical information Singapore 1999

Singapore in the World
top of pageBackground: Founded as a British trading colony in 1819 Singapore joined Malaysia in 1963 but withdrew two years later and became independent. It subsequently became one of the world's most prosperous countries with strong international trading links (its port is one of the world's busiest) and with per capita GDP above that of the leading nations of Western Europe.
top of pageLocation: Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia
Geographic coordinates: 1 22 N, 103 48 E
Map reference:
Southeast AsiaAreaTotal: 647.5 km²
Land: 637.5 km²
Water: 10 km²
Comparative: slightly more than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 193 km
Maritime claimsExclusive fishing zone: within and beyond territorial sea, as defined in treaties and practice
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid, rainy; no pronounced rainy or dry seasons; thunderstorms occur on 40% of all days (67% of days in April)
Terrain: lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water catchment area and nature preserve
ElevationExtremes lowest point: Singapore Strait 0 m
Extremes highest point: Bukit Timah 166 m
Natural resources: fish, deepwater ports
Land useArable land: 2%
Permanent crops: 6%
Permanent pastures: NA%
Forests and woodland: 5%
Other: 87% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA km²
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazards: NA
GeographyNote: focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes
top of pagePopulation: 3,531,600 (July 1999 est.)
Growth rate: 1.15% (1999 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%
NationalityNoun: Singaporean(s)
Adjective: Singapore
Ethnic groups: Chinese 76.4%, Malay 14.9%, Indian 6.4%, other 2.3%
Languages: Chinese (official), Malay (official and national), Tamil (official), English (official)
Religions: Buddhist (Chinese), Muslim (Malays), Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Taoist, Confucianist
Demographic profileAge structure0-14 years: 21% (male 387,786; female 364,018)
15-64 years: 72% (male 1,265,291; female 1,268,458)
65 years and over: 7% (male 109,418; female 136,629) (1999 est.)
Dependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: 1.15% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 13.38 births/1000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 4.69 deaths/1000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 2.83 migrant(s)/1000 population (1999 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: industrial pollution; limited natural fresh water resources; limited land availability presents waste disposal problems; seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Air pollutantsSex ratioAt birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
Total population: 1 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Mothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 3.84 deaths/1000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 78.84 years
Male: 75.79 years
Female: 82.14 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.47 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracyDefinition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 91.1%
Male: 95.9%
Female: 86.3% (1995 est.)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Republic of Singapore
Conventional short form: Singapore
Government type: republic within Commonwealth
Capital: Singapore
Administrative divisions: none
Dependent areasIndependence: 9 August 1965 (from Malaysia)
National holiday: National Day, 9 August (1965)
Constitution: 3 June 1959, amended 1965 (based on preindependence State of Singapore Constitution)
Legal system: based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 20 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branchChief of state: President ONG Teng Cheong (since 1 September 1993)
Head of government: Prime Minister GOH Chok Tong (since 28 November 1990) and Deputy Prime Ministers LEE Hsien Loong (since 28 November 1990) and Tony TAN Keng Yam (since 1 August 1995)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president, responsible to Parliament
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 28 August 1993 (next to be held NA August 1999); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president; deputy prime ministers appointed by the president
Election results: ONG Teng Cheong elected president in the country's first popular election for president; percent of vote_ONG Teng Cheong 59%, CHUA Kim Yeow 41%
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (83 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held 2 January 1997 (next to be held by 2002)
Election results: percent of vote by party_PAP 65% (in contested constituencies), other 35%; seats by party_PAP 81, WP 1, SPP 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, chief justice is appointed by the president with the advice of the prime minister, other judges are appointed by the president with the advice of the chief justice; Court of Appeals
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation: APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, Australia Group (observer), BIS, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNIKOM, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representationIn the us chief of mission: Ambassador CHAN Heng Chee
In the us chancery: 3,501 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 537-3,100
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 537-0876
In the us consulates: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Steven J. GREEN
From the us embassy: 27 Napier Street, Singapore 258,508
From the us mailing address: FPO AP 96,534-0001
From the us telephone: [65] 476-9,100
From the us FAX: [65] 476-9,340
Flag description
: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; near the hoist side of the red band, there is a vertical, white crescent (closed portion is toward the hoist side) partially enclosing five white five-pointed stars arranged in a circle
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: Singapore has an open economy with strong service and manufacturing sectors and excellent international trading links derived from its entrepot history. Extraordinarily strong fundamentals allowed Singapore to weather the effects of the Asian financial crisis better than its neighbors, but the crisis did pull GDP growth down to 1.3% in 1998 from 6% in 1997. Projections for 1999 GDP growth are in the -1% to 1% range. Rising labor costs and appreciation of the Singapore dollar against its neighbors' currencies continue to be a threat to Singapore's competitiveness. The government's strategy to address this problem includes cutting costs, increasing productivity, improving infrastructure, and encouraging higher value-added industries. In applied technology, per capita output, investment, and labor discipline, Singapore has key attributes of a developed country.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: 1.3% (1998 est.)
Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $26,300 (1998 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture: NEGL%
Industry: 28%
Services: 72%
Agriculture products: rubber, copra, fruit, vegetables; poultry
Industries: electronics, financial services, oil drilling equipment, petroleum refining, rubber processing and rubber products, processed food and beverages, ship repair, entrepot trade, biotechnology
Industrial production growth rate: 3% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 1.856 million (1997 est.)
By occupation financial business andother services: 33.5%
By occupation manufacturing: 25.6%
By occupation commerce: 22.9%
By occupation construction: 6.6%
By occupation other: 11.4% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 5% (1999 est.)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty line: NA%
Gini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudgetRevenues: $16.3 billion
Expenditures: $13.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $N/A (FY97/98 est.)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: 1 April_31 March
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $128 billion (1998 est.)
Commodities: computer equipment, rubber and rubber products, petroleum products, telecommunications equipment
Partners: Malaysia 19%, US 18%, Hong Kong 9%, Japan 8%, Thailand 6% (1995)
Imports: $133.9 billion (1997 est.)
Commodities: aircraft, petroleum, chemicals, foodstuffs
Partners: Japan 21%, Malaysia 15%, US 15%, Thailand 5%, Taiwan 4%, South Korea 4% (1995)
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $NA
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Singapore dollars (S$) per US$1: 1.6781 (January 1999), 1.6736 (1998), 1.4848 (1997), 1.4100 (1996), 1.4174 (1995), 1.5274 (1994)
top of pageElectricityProduction: 28 billion kWh (1998)
Production by source fossil fuel: 100%
Production by source hydro: 0%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1996)
Consumption: 28 billion kWh (1998)
Exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Imports: 0 kWh (1998)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephones: 1.4 million (1997 est.)
Telephone system: good domestic facilities; good international service
Domestic: NA
International: submarine cables to Malaysia (Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia), Indonesia, and the Philippines; satellite earth stations_2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean), and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean region)
Broadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresDollar figure: $4.244 billion (FY98/99)
Percent of gdp: 5.1% (FY98/99)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 9 (1998 est.)
With paved runways total: 9
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Heliports: 1 (1998 est.)
PipelinesRailwaysTotal: 38.6 km
Narrow gauge: 38.6 km 1.000-m gauge
Note: there is a 67 km mass transit system with 42 stations
RoadwaysWaterwaysMerchant marineTotal: 875 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 19,734,146 GRT/31,442,482 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 142, cargo 132, chemical tanker 51, combination bulk 6, combination ore/oil 6, container 154, liquefied gas tanker 27, livestock carrier 1, multifunction large-load carrier 6, oil tanker 291, refrigerated cargo 8, roll-on/roll-off cargo 11, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 9, vehicle carrier 30
Note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 22 countries among which are Japan 41, Denmark 35, Sweden 28, Thailand 28, Hong Kong 26, Germany 19, Taiwan 19, and Indonesia 11 (1998 est.)
Ports and terminalstop of pageDisputes international: two islands in dispute with Malaysia
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs: transit point for Golden Triangle heroin going to the US, Western Europe, and the Third World; also a money-laundering center