The government’s annual Population Report in Brief, published earlier this week, reveals a measure of recovery from the demographic attrition caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Singapore’s population grew 3.4% over the past year to 5.64 million in June, reversing two consecutive years of decline. Although the figure remained slightly lower than the 5.7 million recorded in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the rise registers how Singapore is back on track to resume the workforce needed to support its economic growth. As a small city-state, Singapore crucially relies on people as a key resource, making population an existential issue in a way that is not the case in larger, more populous countries. . An underpopulated Singapore would face questions about its very survival.
Two issues are of particular concern: low fertility and ageing. The National Population and Talent Division of the Prime Minister’s Office notes that an aging population and low fertility rate mean that larger groups of Singaporeans are entering their retirement years, while smaller numbers are entering on the work market. It is important to ensure that there are enough people of working age to stimulate the economy and support an aging population. In this context, it is reassuring to note that the synthetic fertility index (ISF) of residents has recovered slightly, going from the historical low of 1.1 in 2020 to 1.12 in 2021. However, it remains below the pre-coronavirus level of 1.14 in 2019. Indeed, the ICF has generally declined over the past decades, largely due to the increasing proportion of single people, subsequent marriages and married couples with fewer children .