Statistical information Singapore 2023

Singapore in the World
top of pageBackground: 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 modern 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 among the highest globally.
top of pageLocation: Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia
Geographic coordinates: 1 22 N, 103 48 E
Map reference:
Southeast AsiaAreaTotal: 719 km²
Land: 709.2 km²
Water: 10 km²
Comparative: slightly more than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundariesTotal: 0 km
Coastline: 193 km
Maritime claimsTerritorial sea: 3 nm
Exclusive fishing zone: within and beyond territorial sea, as defined in treaties and practice
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
ElevationHighest point: Bukit Timah 166 m
Lowest point: Singapore Strait 0 m
Natural resources: fish, deepwater ports
Land useAgricultural land: 1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 0.9% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)
Forest: 3.3% (2018 est.)
Other: 95.7% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land: 0 km² (2022)
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalMunicipal: 300 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 340 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 30 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 600 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Natural hazards: flash floods
GeographyNote: 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
top of pagePopulationDistribution: most of the urbanization is along the southern coast, with relatively dense population clusters found in the central areas: 5,975,383 (2023 est.)
Growth rate: 0.9% (2023 est.)
Below poverty line: NA
NationalityNoun: Singaporean(s)
Adjective: Singapore
Ethnic groups: Chinese 74.2%, Malay 13.7%, Indian 8.9%, other 3.2% (2021 est.)
Note: data represent population by self-identification; the population is divided into four categories: Chinese, Malay (includes indigenous Malays and Indonesians), Indian (includes Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, or Sri Lankan), and other ethnic groups (includes Eurasians, Caucasians, Japanese, Filipino, Vietnamese)
Languages: English (official) 48.3%, Mandarin (official) 29.9%, other Chinese dialects (includes Hokkien, Cantonese, Teochew, Hakka) 8.7%, Malay (official) 9.2%, Tamil (official) 2.5%, other 1.4%; note - data represent language most frequently spoken at home (2020 est.)
Major-language samples:Gheos World Guide, the indispensable source for basic information. (English)
世界概況 - 不可缺少的基本消息來源 (Mandarin)
Religions: Buddhist 31.1%, Christian 18.9%, Muslim 15.6%, Taoist 8.8%, Hindu 5%, other 0.6%, none 20% (2020 est.)
Demographic profile: Singapore has one of the lowest total fertility rates (TFR) in the world - an average of 1.15 children born per woman - and a rapidly aging population. Women’s expanded educations, widened aspirations, and a desire to establish careers has contributed to delayed marriage and smaller families. Most married couples have only one or two children in order to invest more in each child, including the high costs of education. In addition, more and more Singaporeans, particularly women, are staying single. Factors contributing to this trend are a focus on careers, long working hours, the high cost of living, and long waits for public housing. With fertility at such a low rate and rising life expectancy, the proportion of the population aged 65 or over is growing and the youth population is shrinking. Singapore is projected to experience one of the largest percentage point increases in the elderly share of the population at 21% between 2019 and 2,050, according to the UN. The working-age population (aged 15-64) will gradually decrease, leaving fewer workers to economically support the elderly population.
Age structure0-14 years: 14.82% (male 458,019/female 427,364)
15-64 years: 71.49% (male 2,148,471/female 2,123,102)
65 years and over: 13.7% (2023 est.) (male 379,373/female 439,054)
Dependency ratiosTotal dependency ratio: 35.4
Youth dependency ratio: 16.2
Elderly dependency ratio: 19.1
Potential support ratio: 5.2 (2021 est.)
Median ageTotal: 38.9 years (2023 est.)
Male: 37.7 years
Female: 40.1 years
Population growth rate: 0.9% (2023 est.)
Birth rate: 8.9 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
Death rate: 4.2 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
Net migration rate: 4.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
Population distribution: most of the urbanization is along the southern coast, with relatively dense population clusters found in the central areas
UrbanizationUrban population: 100% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.74% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areasPopulation: 6.081 million SINGAPORE (capital) (2023)
EnvironmentCurrent 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, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, 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 pollutantsParticulate matter emissions: 13.33 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 37.54 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 4.4 megatons (2020 est.)
Sex ratioAt birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
Total population: 1 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
Mothers mean age at first birth: 30.5 years (2015 est.)
Note: data represents median age
Maternal mortality ratio: 7 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
Infant mortality rateTotal: 1.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Male: 1.7 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 1.4 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 86.5 years (2023 est.)
Male: 83.8 years
Female: 89.3 years
Total fertility rate: 1.17 children born/woman (2023 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate: NA
Drinking water sourceImproved urban: 100% of population
Improved rural: NA
Improved total: 100% of population
Unimproved urban: 0% of population
Unimproved rural: NA
Unimproved total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
Current health expenditure: 6.1% of GDP (2020)
Physicians density: 2.46 physicians/1,000 population (2019)
Hospital bed density: 2.5 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Sanitation facility accessImproved urban:100% of population
rural: NA
total: 100% of population
Unimproved urban:0% of population
rural: NA
total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
Hiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rate: 6.1% (2016)
Alcohol consumptionPer capita total: 1.81 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 1.26 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 0.27 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 0.24 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Tobacco useTotal: 16.5% (2020 est.)
Male: 28% (2020 est.)
Female: 5% (2020 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: NA
Education expenditures: 2.8% of GDP (2021 est.)
LiteracyDefinition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 97.5%
Male: 98.9%
Female: 96.1% (2019)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationTotal: 17 years
Male: 16 years
Female: 17 years (2020)
Youth unemploymentRate ages 15 24 total: 9.1% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 7%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 11.8%
top of pageCountry nameConventional 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 "simha" (lion) and "pura" (city) to describe the city-state's leonine symbol
Government type: parliamentary republic
CapitalName: SingaporeGeographic coordinates: 1 17 N, 103 51 E
Time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: name derives from the Sanskrit words
simha (lion) and
pura (city), thus creating the city's epithet "lion city"
Administrative divisions: no first order administrative divisions; there are five community development councils: Central Singapore Development Council, North East Development Council, North West Development Council, South East Development Council, South West Development Council (2019)
Dependent areasIndependence: 9 August 1965 (from Malaysian Federation)
National holiday: National Day, 9 August (1965)
ConstitutionHistory: several previous; latest adopted 22 December 1965
Amendments: proposed by Parliament; passage requires two-thirds majority vote in the second and third readings by the elected Parliament membership and assent of the president of the republic; passage of amendments affecting sovereignty or control of the Police Force or the Armed Forces requires at least two-thirds majority vote in a referendum; amended many times, last in 2020
Legal system: English common law
International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
CitizenshipCitizenship 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 branchChief of state: President THARMAN Shanmugaratnam (since 14 September 2023)
Head of government: Prime Minister LEE Hsien Loong (since 12 August 2004)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister; Cabinet responsible to Parliament
Elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 6-year term (no term limits); election last held on 1 September 2023; next to be held in 2,029); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition appointed prime minister by the president; deputy prime ministers appointed by the president
Election results:2023: THARMAN Shanmugaratnam elected president; percent of vote - THARMAN (independent) 70.4%, Ng Kok Song (independent) 15.7%, Tan Kin Lian (independent) 13.9%; turnout is 93.4%
2017: HALIMAH Yacob declared president on 13 September 2017, being the only eligible candidate
2011: Tony TAN Keng Yam elected president; 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 branchDescription: unicameral Parliament (104 seats statutory, 103 current term; 93 members directly elected by simple majority popular vote, up to 9 nominated by a parliamentary selection committee and appointed by the president, and up to 12 non-constituency members from opposition parties to ensure political diversity; members serve 5-year terms); note - the number of nominated members increased to 12 for the 2020 election for the first time
Elections: last held on 10 July 2020 (next must be held by 24 November 2025)
Election results: percent of vote by party - PAP 89.2%, WP 10.6%, other 0.2%; seats by party - PAP 83, WP 10; composition of total Parliament - men 73, women 30, percent of women 29.1%
Judicial branchHighest courts: Supreme Court (although the number of judges varies - as of April 2019, the court totaled 20 judges, 7 judicial commissioners, 4 judges of appeal, and 16 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:
Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [Mohamad Hamim BIN ALIYA]
National Solidarity Party or NSP [Spencer NG]
People's Action Party or PAP [LEE Hsien Loong]
People's Power Party or PPP [Goh Meng SENG]
People's Voice or PV [Lim TEAN]
Progress Singapore Party or PSP [Francis YUEN]
Red Dot United or RDU [Ravi PHILEMON]
Reform Party or RP [Kenneth JEYARETNAM]
Singapore Democratic Alliance or SDA [Desmond LIM]
Singapore Democratic Party or SDP [Dr. CHEE Soon Juan]
Singapore People's Party or SPP [Steve CHIA]
Singapore United Party or SUP [Andy ZHU]
Workers' Party or WP [Pritam SINGH]
Note: the PAP has won every general election since the end of the British colonial era in 1959
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 representationIn the us chief of mission: Ambassador LUI Tuck Yew (since 30 June 2023)
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) 537-7,086
In the us email address and website:From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jonathan KAPLAN (since December 2021)
From the us embassy: 27 Napier Road, Singapore 258,508
From the us mailing address: 4,280 Singapore Place, Washington DC 20,521-4,280
From the us telephone: [65] 6,476-9,100
From the us FAX: [65] 6,476-9,340
From the us email address and website:singaporeusembassy@state.gov
[link] 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 anthemName: "Majulah Singapura" (Onward Singapore)
Lyrics/music: ZUBIR Said
Note: adopted 1965; first performed in 1958 at the Victoria Theatre, the anthem is sung only in Malay
National heritageTotal World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:top of pageEconomy overview: high-income, service-based Southeast Asian economy; renowned for financial markets and Asian Infrastructure Exchange; business-driven regulations; low unemployment; electronics, oil, and chemicals exporter; continuing education investment
Real gdp purchasing power parity:
$578.254 billion (2021 est.)
$537.341 billion (2020 est.)
$560.566 billion (2019 est.)
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real gdp growth rate:
7.61% (2021 est.)
-4.14% (2020 est.)
1.1% (2019 est.)
Real gdp per capita:
$106,000 (2021 est.)
$94,500 (2020 est.)
$98,300 (2019 est.)
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useHousehold 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 originAgriculture: 0% (2017 est.)
Industry: 24.8% (2017 est.)
Services: 75.2% (2017 est.)
Agriculture products: poultry, eggs, vegetables, pork, duck meat, spinach, pig offals, bird eggs, pig fat, cabbages
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: 13.32% (2021 est.)
Labor force: 3.29 million (2021 est.)
Note: excludes non-residents
Unemployment rate:
3.62% (2021 est.)
4.1% (2020 est.)
3.1% (2019 est.)
Youth unemploymentRate ages 15 24 total: 9.1% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 7%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 11.8%
Population below poverty line: NA
Gini indexCoefficient distribution of family income: 45.9 (2017)
Household income or consumption by percentage shareLowest 10%: 1.6%
Highest 10%: 27.5% (2017)
Distribution of family income gini indexBudgetRevenues: $59.974 billion (2020 est.)
Expenditures: $90.264 billion (2020 est.)
Note: expenditures include both operational and development expenditures
Surplus or deficit: -0.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Taxes and other revenues: 12.89% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
Public debt:
153.41% of GDP (2020 est.)
128.31% of GDP (2019 est.)
110.73% of GDP (2018 est.)
Note: Singapore's public debt consists largely of Singapore Government Securities (SGS) issued to assist the Central Provident Fund (CPF), which administers Singapore's defined contribution pension fund; special issues of SGS are held by the CPF, and are non-tradable; the government has not borrowed to finance deficit expenditures since the 1980s; Singapore has no external public debt
RevenueFrom forest resources: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Inflation rate consumer prices:
2.3% (2021 est.)
-0.18% (2020 est.)
0.57% (2019 est.)
Central bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balance:
$71.926 billion (2021 est.)
$58.139 billion (2020 est.)
$54.273 billion (2019 est.)
Exports:
$733.782 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$627.442 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$658.127 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Partners: China 16%, Hong Kong 16%, United States 8%, Malaysia 9%, Indonesia 5% (2021)
Commodities: integrated circuits, refined petroleum, gold, packaged medicines, appliances, photo lab equipment (2021)
Imports:
$609.28 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$517.967 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$550.209 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Partners: China 16%, Malaysia 11%, United States 9%, Taiwan 7%, Japan 5%, Indonesia 5% (2019)
Commodities: integrated circuits, refined petroleum, crude petroleum, gold, gas turbines (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$425.098 billion (31 December 2021 est.)
$369.834 billion (31 December 2020 est.)
$285.478 billion (31 December 2019 est.)
Debt external:
$1,557,646,000,000 (2019 est.)
$1,528,177,000,000 (2018 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates:
Singapore dollars (SGD) per US dollar - 1.343 (2021 est.)
1.38 (2020 est.)
1.364 (2019 est.)
1.349 (2018 est.)
1.381 (2017 est.)
top of pageElectricityAccess electrification-total population: 100% (2021)
Installed generating capacity: 12.24 million kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 50,742,380,000 kWh (2019 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 571 million kWh (2019 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 96.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources solar: 1.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 2.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
CoalProduction: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 423,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 1,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 424,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
PetroleumTotal petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 1.448 million bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 13,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 1,121,200 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
Crude oilRefined petroleumProducts production: 755,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports: 1.82 million bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports: 2.335 million bbl/day (2015 est.)
Natural gasProduction: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Consumption: 13,396,282,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
Exports: 550.818 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Imports: 14,727,709,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 238.983 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 1.588 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 211.115 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 26.28 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Energy consumption per capita: 639.951 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
top of pageTelephonesFixed lines total subscriptions: 1,906,200 (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 32 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 9,350,700 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 156 (2022 est.)
Telephone systemBroadcast media: state controls broadcast media; 6 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 19 domestic radio stations broadcasting, with MediaCorp operating 11, Singapore Press Holdings, also government-linked, another 5, 2 controlled by the Singapore Armed Forces Reservists Association and one owned by BBC Radio; Malaysian and Indonesian radio stations are available as is BBC; a number of Internet service radio stations are also available (2019)
InternetCountry code: .sg
Users total: 5.369 million (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 91% (2021 est.)
Broadband fixed subscriptionsTotal: 1,509,700 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 26 (2020 est.)
top of pageMilitary expenditures:
3% of GDP (2022 est.)
3% of GDP (2021 est.)
3% of GDP (2020)
2.9% of GDP (2019)
2.9% of GDP (2018)
Military and security forces:
Singapore Armed Forces (SAF; aka Singapore Defense Force): Singapore Army, Republic of Singapore Navy, Republic of Singapore Air Force (includes air defense), Digital and Intelligence Service
Ministry of Home Affairs: Singapore Police Force (includes Police Coast Guard and the Gurkha Contingent) (2023)
Note 1: the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS) was stood up as the fourth SAF service in October of 2022
Note 2: the Gurkha Contingent of the Singapore Police Force (GCSPF) is a paramilitary unit for riot control and acts as a rapid reaction force
Note 3: in 2009, Singapore established a multi-agency national Maritime Security Task Force (MSTF) to work with law enforcement and maritime agencies to guard Singapore’s waters, including conducting daily patrols, as well as boarding and escort operations in the Singapore Strait; the MSTF is subordinate to the Singapore Navy
Military service age and obligation: 18-21 years of age for compulsory military service for men; 16.5 years of age for voluntary enlistment (with parental consent); 24-month conscript service obligation, with a reserve obligation to age 40 (enlisted) or age 50 (officers); women are not conscripted, but they are allowed to volunteer for all services and branches, including combat arms (2023)
Note 1: under the Enlistment Act, all male Singaporean citizens and permanent residents, unless exempted, are required to enter National Service (NS) upon attaining the age of 18; most NS conscripts serve in the Armed Forces, but some go into the Police Force or Civil Defense Force; conscripts comprise over half of the defense establishment
Note 2: as of 2019, women made up about 8% of the active force
Note 3: the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) also has a uniformed volunteer auxiliary branch known as the Volunteer Corps (SAFVC); the SAFVC allows citizens and residents not subject to the National Service obligation, including Singaporean women, first generation permanent residents, and naturalized citizens, to contribute towards Singapore's defense; the volunteers must be 18-45 and physically fit
Note 4: members of the Gurkha Contingent (GC) of the Singapore Police Force are mostly recruited from a small number of hill tribes in Nepal; the GC was formed in 1949 originally from selected ex-British Army Gurkhas
Space programOverview: space program and capabilities are largely commercial with a focus on acquiring or developing and manufacturing small RS (including optical and microwave) satellites, other satellite-related capabilities, such as data processing, and rockets capable of placing small satellites in low Earth orbit; manufactures and operates satellites; has a considerable civil/commercial and university-based research and development program; has established relations with the space agencies and industries of China, the European Space Agency, India, Japan, and the US; has over 50 companies involved in space-related technology development and manufacturing (2023)
Overview note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in
space programsTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemNumber of registered air carriers: 4 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 230
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 40,401,515 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 5,194,900,000 (2018) mt-km
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 9V
Airports: 9 (2021)
With paved runways: 9
With paved runways civil airports: 0
With paved runways military airports: 2
With paved runways joint use (civil-military) airports: 3
With paved runways other airports: 4
With paved runways note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
HeliportsPipelines: 3,220 km domestic gas (2014), 1,122 km cross-border pipelines (2017), 8 km refined products (2013) (2013)
RailwaysRoadwaysTotal: 3,500 km (2017)
Paved: 3,500 km (2017) (includes 164 km of expressways)
WaterwaysMerchant marineTotal: 3,227 (2022)
By type: bulk carrier 574, container ship 542, general cargo 99, oil tanker 633, other 1,379
Ports and terminalsMajor seaports: Singapore
Container ports teus: Singapore (37,470,000) (2021)
Lng terminals import: Singapore
top of pageDisputes international: piracy remains a problem in the Malacca Strait
Refugees and internally displaced personsStateless persons: 1,109 (2022)
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