Map of Singapore | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: A Malay trading port known as Temasek existed on the island of Singapore by the 14th century. The settlement changed hands several times in the ensuing centuries and was eventually burned in the 17th century and fell into obscurity. The British founded Singapore as a trading colony on the site in 1819. It joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963 but was ousted two years later and became independent. Singapore subsequently became one of the world's most prosperous countries with strong international trading links (its port is one of the world's busiest in terms of tonnage handled) and with per capita GDP equal to that of the leading nations of Western Europe.


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Location: Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia

Geographic coordinates: 1 22 N, 103 48 E

Map reference: Southeast Asia

Area
Total: 719.2 km²
Land: 709.2 km²
Water: 10 km²
Rank: 191
Comparative: slightly more than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 193 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 3 nm

Climate: tropical; hot, humid, rainy; two distinct monsoon seasons - northeastern monsoon (December to March) and southwestern monsoon (June to September); inter-monsoon - frequent afternoon and early evening thunderstorms

Terrain: lowlying, gently undulating central plateau

Elevation: 0 m
Note: lowest point: Singapore Strait

Natural resources: fish, deepwater ports

Land use
Agricultural land: 1% (2011 est.)
Forest: 3.3% (2011 est.)
Other: 95.7% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 0 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: flash floods

Geography
Note: focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes; consists of about 60 islands, by far the largest of which is Pulau Ujong; land reclamation has removed many former islands and created a number of new ones


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Population
Distribution: most of the urbanization is along the southern coast, with relatively dense population clusters found in the central areas: 5,995,991 (July 2018 est.)
Rank: 112
Growth rate: 1.79% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 58
Below poverty line note: NA

Nationality
Noun: Singaporean(s)
Adjective: Singapore

Ethnic groups:

Languages:

Religions: Buddhist 33.2%, Christian 18.8%, Muslim 14%, Taoist 10%, Hindu 5%, other 0.6%, none 18.5% (2015 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 12.77% (male 391,714 /female 373,766)
15-24 years: 16.05% (male 473,012 /female 489,553)
25-54 years: 50.61% (male 1,476,528 /female 1,558,179)
55-64 years: 10.53% (male 316,001 /female 315,648)
65 years and over: 10.03% (male 274,863 /female 326,727) (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 37.3 (2015 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 21.3 (2015 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 16 (2015 est.)
Potential support ratio: 6.2 (2015 est.)

Median age
Total: 34.9 years
Male: 34.8 years
Female: 35.1 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 84

Population growth rate: 1.79% (2018 est.)
Rank: 58

Birth rate: 8.7 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 212

Death rate: 3.5 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 216

Net migration rate: 13.1 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 5

Population distribution: most of the urbanization is along the southern coast, with relatively dense population clusters found in the central areas

Urbanization
Urban population: 100% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 1.39% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 5.792 million SINGAPORE (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: water pollution; industrial pollution; limited natural freshwater resources; limited land availability presents waste disposal problems; air pollution; deforestation; seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.07 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
15-24 years: 0.97 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
25-54 years: 0.95 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
55-64 years: 1 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth:

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 2.3 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 2.5 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Female: 2.1 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Rank: 220

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 85.5 years (2018 est.)
Male: 82.8 years (2018 est.)
Female: 88.3 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 3

Total fertility rate: 0.84 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 224

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source
Urban: 0% of population
Total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 2.28 physicians/1000 population (2016)

Hospital bed density: 2.4 beds/1000 population (2015)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 0% of population (2015 est.)
Total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2017 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 103
People living with hivaids: 7,600 (2017 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 108
Deaths note: <100 (2017 est.)

Major infectious diseases: note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 6.1% (2016)
Rank: 171

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 2.9% of GDP (2013)
Rank: 149

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2016 est.)
Total population: 97% (2016 est.)
Male: 98.7% (2016 est.)
Female: 95.4% (2016 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 13 years (2009)
Male: 13 years (2009)
Female: 13 years (2009)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Singapore
Conventional short form: Singapore
Local long form: Republic of Singapore
Local short form: Singapore
Etymology: name derives from the Sanskrit words singa (lion) and pura (city) to describe the city-states leonine symbol

Government type: parliamentary republic

Capital
Name: Singapore
Geographic coordinates: 1 17 N, 103 51 E
Time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: none

Dependent areas

Independence: 9 August 1965 (from Malaysian Federation)

National holiday: National Day, 9 August (1965)

Constitution
History: several previous; latest adopted 22 December 1965 (2018)
Amendments: proposed by Parliament; passage requires two-thirds majority vote in the second and third readings by the elected Parliament membership and assent by the president of the republic; passage of amendments affecting constitutional articles on fundamental liberties, the president, or constitutional amendment procedures also requires at least two-thirds majority vote in a referendum; amended many times, last in 2016 (2018)

Legal system: English common law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Singapore
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch
Chief of state: President HALIMAH Yacob (since 14 September 2017); note - President TANs term ended on 31 August 2017; HALIMAH is Singapores first female president; the head of the Council of Presidential Advisors, J.Y. PILLAY, served as acting president until HALIMAH was sworn in as president on 14 September 2017
Head of government: Prime Minister LEE Hsien Loong (since 12 August 2004); Deputy Prime Ministers TEO Chee Hean (since 1 April 2009) and Tharman SHANMUGARATNAM (since 21 May 2011)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister; Cabinet responsible to Parliament
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a single 6-year term; election last held on 13 September 2017 (next to be held in 2023); following legislative elections, leader of majority party or majority coalition appointed prime minister by president; deputy prime ministers appointed by the president
Election results: HALIMAH Yacob was declared president on 13 September 2017, being the only eligible candidate; Tony TAN Keng Yam elected president in the previous contested election on 27 August 2011; percent of vote - Tony TAN Keng Yam (independent) 35.2% , TAN Cheng Bock (independent) 34.9%, TAN Jee Say (independent) 25%, TAN Kin Lian (independent) 4.9%

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Parliament (101 seats; 89 members directly elected by popular vote, up to 9 nominated by a parliamentary selection committee and appointed by the president, and up to 9 but currently 3 non-constituency members from opposition parties to ensure political diversity; members serve 5-year terms)
Elections: last held on 11 September 2015 (next to be held in 2020)
Election results: percent of vote by party - PAP 69.9%, WP 12.5%, other 17.6%; seats by party - PAP 83, WP 6; composition - men 77, women 24, percent of women 23.8%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court (although the number of judges varies - as of Feb 2018, it had a total of 21 judges, 7 judicial commissioners, 4 senior judges, and 15 international judges); the court is organized into an upper tier Appeal Court and a lower tier High Court)
Judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the president from candidates recommended by the prime minister after consultation with the chief justice; judges usually serve until retirement at age 65, but terms can be extended
Subordinate courts: district, magistrates, juvenile, family, community, and coroners courts; small claims tribunals; employment claims tribunals

Political parties and leaders: National Solidarity Party or NSPPeople's Action Party or PAP [LEE Hsien Loong]Singapore Democratic Party or SDP [Dr. CHEE Soon Juan]Workers' Party or WP [Pritam SINGH]

International organization participation: ADB, AOSIS, APEC, Arctic Council (observer), ARF, ASEAN, BIS, C, CP, EAS, FAO, FATF, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Ashok Kumar MIRPURI (since 30 July 2012)
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 consulate:
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge dAffaires Stephanie SYPTAK-RAMNATH (since 20 January 2017)
From the us embassy: 27 Napier Road, Singapore 258,508
From the us mailing address: FPO AP 96,507-0001
From the us telephone: [65] 6,476-9,100
From the us FAX: [65] 6,476-9,340

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; red denotes brotherhood and equality; white signifies purity and virtue; the waxing crescent moon symbolizes a young nation on the ascendancy; the five stars represent the nation's ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice, and equality

National symbols: lion, merlion (mythical half lion-half fish creature), orchid; national colors: red, white

National anthem
Name: Majulah Singapura (Onward Singapore)
Lyricsmusic: ZUBIR Said: note: adopted 1965; first performed in 1958 at the Victoria Theatre, the anthem is sung only in Malay

National heritage


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Economy overview: Singapore has a highly developed and successful free-market economy. It enjoys an open and corruption-free environment, stable prices, and a per capita GDP higher than that of most developed countries. Unemployment is very low. The economy depends heavily on exports, particularly of electronics, petroleum products, chemicals, medical and optical devices, pharmaceuticals, and on Singapore’s vibrant transportation, business, and financial services sectors.The economy contracted 0.6% in 2009 as a result of the global financial crisis, but has continued to grow since 2010. Growth from 2012-2017 was slower than during the previous decade, a result of slowing structural growth - as Singapore reached high-income levels - and soft global demand for exports. Growth recovered to 3.6% in 2017 with a strengthening global economy.The government is attempting to restructure Singapore’s economy to reduce its dependence on foreign labor, raise productivity growth, and increase wages amid slowing labor force growth and an aging population. Singapore has attracted major investments in advanced manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and medical technology production and will continue efforts to strengthen its position as Southeast Asia's leading financial and technology hub. Singapore is a signatory of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and a party to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations with nine other ASEAN members plus Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand. In 2015, Singapore formed, with the other ASEAN members, the ASEAN Economic Community.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 38

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 96

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 7

Gross national saving:
Rank: 5

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 35.6% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 10.9% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 24.8% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 2.8% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 173.3% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -149.1% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 0% (2017 est.)
Industry: 24.8% (2017 est.)
Services: 75.2% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: vegetables; poultry, eggs; fish, ornamental fish, orchids

Industries: electronics, chemicals, financial services, oil drilling equipment, petroleum refining, biomedical products, scientific instruments, telecommunication equipment, processed food and beverages, ship repair, offshore platform construction, entrepot trade

Industrial production growth rate: 5.7% (2017 est.)
Rank: 46

Labor force:
Rank: 99
By occupation agriculture: 0.7%
By occupation industry: 25.6%
By occupation services: 73.7% (2017)
By occupation: note: excludes non-residents

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 21

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line
Note: NA

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 27.5% (2017)
Highest 10: 27.5% (2017)

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 38

Budget
Revenues: 50.85 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 51.87 billion (2017 est.): note: expenditures include both operational and development expenditures
Surplus or deficit: -0.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 55

Taxes and other revenues: 15.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 187

Public debt:
Rank: 11

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 33

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 118

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 143

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 31

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 31

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 27

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 14

Current account balance:
Rank: 8

Exports:
Rank: 13
Partners: China 14.7%, Hong Kong 12.6%, Malaysia 10.8%, US 6.6%, Indonesia 5.8%, Japan 4.7%, South Korea 4.6%, Thailand 4% (2017)
Commodities: machinery and equipment (including electronics and telecommunications), pharmaceuticals and other chemicals, refined petroleum products, foodstuffs and beverages

Imports:
Rank: 16
Commodities: machinery and equipment, mineral fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs, consumer goods
Partners: China 13.9%, Malaysia 12%, US 10.7%, Japan 6.3%, South Korea 5% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 11

Debt external:
Rank: 20

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 9

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
Rank: 13

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2016)
Production: 48.66 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 55
Consumption: 47.69 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 51
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 198
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 200
Installed generating capacity: 13.35 million kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 53
Generation sources fossil fuels: 98% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 29
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 183
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 200
Generation sources other renewable sources: 2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 144

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 199
Crude oil exports: 14,780 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 54
Crude oil imports: 783,300 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 15
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 195

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 755,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 24
Products consumption: 1.322 million bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 17
Products exports: 1.82 million bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 4
Products imports: 2.335 million bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 1

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 196
Consumption: 12.97 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 44
Exports: 622.9 million m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 41
Imports: 13.48 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 23
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2017 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 194

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 249.5 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 27

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 1,983,100 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 34 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 58
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 8,462,800 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 144 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 97

Telephone system
General assessment: excellent service (2016)
Domestic: excellent domestic facilities; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity more than 180 telephones per 100 persons; multiple providers of high-speed Internet connectivity (2016)
International: country code - 65; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and US; satellite earth stations - 4; supplemented by VSAT coverage (2016)

Broadcast media: state controls broadcast media; 7 domestic TV stations operated by MediaCorp which is wholly owned by a state investment company; broadcasts from Malaysian and Indonesian stations available; satellite dishes banned; multi-channel cable TV services available; a total of 18 domestic radio stations broadcasting, with MediaCorp operating 11, Singapore Press Holdings, also government-linked, another 5, and another 2 controlled by the Singapore Armed Forces Reservists Association; Malaysian and Indonesian radio stations are available as is BBC; a number of Internet service radio stations are also available

Internet
Country code: .sg
Users total: 4,683,200 (July 2016 est.)
Users percent of population: 81% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 80

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 1,470,400 (2017 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 25 (2017 est.)
Rank: 61


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Military expenditures:
Rank: 26

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18-21 years of age for male compulsory military service; 16 1/2 years of age for volunteers; 2-year conscript service obligation, with a reserve obligation to age 40 (enlisted) or age 50 (officers) (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups
Foreign based Islamic State of Iraq and ashSham:
Foreign based Jemaah Islamiyah:


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 5 (2015)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 197 (2015)
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 33,290,544 (2015)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 6,154,365,275
Note: mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 9V (2016)

Airports: 9 (2013)
Rank: 159
With paved runways total: 9 (2017)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2 (2017)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2 (2017)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3 (2017)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2017)
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2017)

Heliports

Pipelines: 3,220 km domestic gas (2014), 1122 km cross-border pipelines (2017), 8 km refined products (2013)

Railways

Roadways
Total: 3,496 km (2014)
Paved: 3,496 km
Note: (includes 164 km of expressways) (2014)
Rank: 161

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 3,558 (2017)
By type: bulk carrier 592, container ship 504, general cargo 134, oil tanker 722, other 1606 (2017)
Rank: 6

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Singapore
Container port: Singapore (30,903,600) (2016)
LNG terminal: Singapore


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Disputes international: disputes persist with Malaysia over each country’s extensive land reclamation works, bridge construction, and maritime boundaries in the Johor and Singapore Straitsin 2008, ICJ awarded sovereignty of Pedra Branca (Pulau Batu Puteh/Horsburgh Island) to Singapore, and Middle Rocks to Malaysia, but did not rule on maritime regimes, boundaries, or disposition of South Ledgein 2017, Malaysia filed a challenge to the 2008 ruling and applied for ownership of South Ledge; piracy remains a problem in the Malacca Strait

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: drug abuse limited because of aggressive law enforcement efforts, including carrying out death sentences; as a transportation and financial services hub, Singapore is vulnerable, despite strict laws and enforcement, as a venue for money laundering