Singapore
Top Sights & Landmarks
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, falling into obscurity. In 1819, the British founded modern Singapore as a trading colony on the same site and granted it full internal self-government for all matters except defense and foreign affairs in 1959. Singapore 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 and per capita GDP among the highest globally. The People’s Action Party has won every general election in Singapore since the end of the British colonial era, aided by its success in delivering consistent economic growth, as well as the city-state's fragmented opposition and electoral procedures that strongly favor the ruling party.
Location
Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia
Area
Elevation
Detailed Geography Information
Coastline
193 km
Geography - note
focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes; consists of about 60 islands, the largest of which by far is Pulau Ujong; land reclamation has removed many former islands and created a number of new ones
Irrigated land
0 sq km (2022)
Land boundaries
total: 0 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: within and beyond territorial sea, as defined in treaties and practice
Natural hazards
flash floods
Natural resources
Terrain
lowlying, gently undulating central plateau
Population & Growth
Age Distribution
Demographic Longevity
Vital Dynamics
Detailed People & Society Information
Alcohol consumption per capita
1.81 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
43.8% (2020 est.)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 41.6 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 20.5 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 21.2 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 4.7 (2025 est.)
Education expenditure
2.2% of GDP (2024 est.) 12% national budget (2025 est.)
Ethnic groups
Gross reproduction rate
0.58 (2025 est.)
Health expenditure
5.6% of GDP (2021) 18.1% of national budget (2022 est.)
Hospital bed density
2.6 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 1.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 1.7 deaths/1,000 live births female: 1.4 deaths/1,000 live births
Languages
Literacy
total population: 97.7% (2021 est.) male: 98.9% (2021 est.) female: 96.4% (2021 est.)
Major urban areas - population
6.081 million SINGAPORE (capital) (2023)
Maternal mortality ratio
6 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
30.5 years (2015 est.) note: data represents median age
Nationality
noun: Singaporean(s) adjective: Singapore
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
6.1% (2016)
Physician density
2.83 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
Population distribution
most of the urbanization is along the southern coast, with relatively dense population clusters found in the central areas
Refugees and internally displaced persons
Religions
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 17 years (2022 est.) male: 17 years (2022 est.) female: 17 years (2022 est.)
Sex ratio
at 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: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Tobacco use
total: 16.2% (2025 est.) male: 27.6% (2025 est.) female: 3.8% (2025 est.)
Climate & Issues
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
Land Cover
Air & Carbon Emissions
Water Resources & Use
Detailed Environmental Information
International environmental agreements
Urbanization
urban population: 100% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.74% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 1.87 million tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 51.7% (2022 est.)
Capital & State Profile
Executive Branch
Legislative Branch
National Identity & Symbols
two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; a vertical white crescent is on the left side of the red band, with a circle of five five-pointed white stars to the right of the crescent
Detailed Government Information
Administrative divisions
no first-order administrative divisions; 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)
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
Constitution
history: several previous; latest adopted 22 December 1965 amendment process: 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
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 simha (lion) and pur (city); according to Malayan folklore, an Indian prince visited Singapore in the 7th century and mistook the first animal he saw for a lion, which is not native to the country
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
International organization participation
Judicial branch
highest court(s): Supreme Court (number of judges varies but includes judicial commissioners, judges of appeal, and 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
Legal system
English common law
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Singapore Botanic Gardens
Political parties
People's Action Party or PAP Workers' Party or WPS there are 13 additional active political parties in Singapore note: the PAP has won every general election since the end of the British colonial era in 1959
Suffrage
21 years of age; universal and compulsory
Economic Overview
high-income, service-based economy; global financial hub; business-friendly policies and open to investment and trade; inflation easing but persistent in services; public investments in education, healthcare, and infrastructure; strong human capital development challenged by aging population
Size & Performance
GDP Sector Breakdown
Trade Balance
Budget Balance
Export Profile
Top Export Partners
Major Export Commodities
Labor & Employment
Income Inequality
Detailed Economic Data
Agricultural products
Current account balance
$96.015 billion (2024 est.) $89.403 billion (2023 est.) $93.771 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Exchange rates
Singapore dollars (SGD) per US dollar - Exchange rates: 1.336 (2024 est.) 1.343 (2023 est.) 1.379 (2022 est.) 1.343 (2021 est.) 1.38 (2020 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
Industrial production growth rate
4.2% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Industries
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.4% (2024 est.) 4.8% (2023 est.) 6.1% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Public debt
175.6% of GDP (2023 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP
Remittances
0% of GDP (2023 est.) 0% of GDP (2022 est.) 0% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$383.946 billion (2024 est.) $359.835 billion (2023 est.) $296.629 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Taxes and other revenues
13.9% (of GDP) (2023 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
Grid Infrastructure
Generation Mix
Fossil Fuels Production
Intensity & Nuclear
Digital Access
Active internet users as a percentage of the total population.
Fixed Broadband
Mobile Cellular
Broadcast Media
Aviation
Ports & Harbors
Merchant Marine
Military Expenditures
Active Duty Strengths
information varies; approximately 55,000 active-duty Armed Forces (40,000 Army; 7,000 Navy; 8,000 Air Force) (2025) note: the Army is comprised mostly of conscripts and reservists with a small core of professional soldiers, while the Air Force and Navy are staffed mainly by professional personnel
Service & Defense Details
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 (SPF; includes Police Coast Guard and the Gurkha Contingent) (2025) note 1: the Gurkha Contingent of the Singapore Police Force (GCSPF) is a paramilitary unit for riot control and acts as a rapid reaction force note 2: the Navy includes the multi-agency standing Maritime Security Task Force (MSTF), which assists the Police Coast Guard in conducting maritime security operations
maintains permanent training detachments of military personnel in Australia, France, and the US (2025)
the SAF has a diverse and modern mix of domestically produced and imported Western weapons systems from such suppliers as France, Germany, and the US; Singapore has a small but sophisticated defense industry, which produces armaments such as armored vehicles and naval warships (2025)
the SAF’s primary responsibility is external defense, particularly maritime security, but it also trains for certain domestic security operations, including joint deterrence patrols with police in instances of heightened terrorism alerts; the Army includes a “people’s defense force,” which is a divisional headquarters responsible for homeland security and counterterrorism; the SAF regularly participates in bilateral and multilateral training exercises Singapore is a member of the Five Powers Defense Arrangements (FPDA), a series of mutual assistance agreements reached in 1971 embracing Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the UK; the FPDA commits the members to consult with one another in the event or threat of an armed attack on any of the members and to mutually decide what measures should be taken, jointly or separately; Singapore also has close security ties with the US, including granting the US military access, basing, and overflight privileges the SAF's roots go back to 1854 when the Singapore Volunteer Rifle Corps was formed under colonial rule; the first battalion of regular soldiers, the First Singapore Infantry Regiment, was organized in 1957; the modern SAF was established in 1965 (2025)
18 years of age for voluntary enlistment for men and women (16.5 for early enlistment program with parental consent); 18-21 years of age for compulsory military service for men; 24-month conscript service obligation (2026) note 1: 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: 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 3: 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