CNA – Singapore’s total population grew by 3.4 per cent to 5.64 million as of June this year, after two straight years of decline, according to an annual report by the National Population and Talent Division yesterday.
Despite the growth, the total population in Singapore remained slightly lower than the pre-COVID level of 5.7 million as of June 2019.
The total population growth rate over the past five years, from 2017 to 2022, was slower compared with the preceding five-year period.
Excluding the effects of COVID-19 from June 2019 to June 2021, the compound annual growth rate for the total population between June 2017 and June 2019 was 0.8 per cent.
This was already lower than the compound annual growth rate of 1.1 per cent between June 2012 and June 2017, said the report.
Singapore’s resident population, which comprises citizens and permanent residents, totalled 4.07 million, an increase from 3.99 million in June 2021. There were 1.56 million non-residents as of June.
The increase in resident population was mainly due to the easing of COVID-19 travel restrictions, as more residents who previously remained overseas continuously for 12 months or more returned to Singapore.
The citizen population increased by 1.6 per cent from 3.5 million in June 2021 to 3.55 million in June this year.
The non-resident population grew by 6.6 per cent from June last year – mainly due to a recovery in foreign employment levels in Singapore after the easing of travel restrictions – but it remained below the pre-COVID level of 1.68 million in June 2019.
The largest increase was seen for work permit holders in the construction, marine shipyard, and process sectors.
