During the past 10 years the Singapore government imported more than 1 million foreigners, old-age support ratio has instead declined from 7.2 to 4.9. This is largely attributed to the fact that new Singapore citizens are allowed to bring their foreign elderly parents into Singapore, which further worsen the ageing population problem.
Photo from Department of Statistics
In 2005, Singapore’s population was 4.26 million and its old-age support ratio then was only 7.2. However in 2015 today, Singapore’s population is 5.53 million and its old-age support ratio is 4.9.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has used the problem of ageing population and falling old-age support ratio to justify the influx of foreigners intake. In his 2012 Population White Paper, PM Lee Hsien Loong pushed for a 6.9 million population saying that foreigners improves the old-age support ratio.
Here are other findings of the latest report by National Population and Talent Division:
- Singapore continue to take in 43,300 foreigners last year, the new non-resident population is 1,623.300
- Proportion of those aged 65 and above over the total population increased 0.7% to 13.1%
- Singapore continue to grant 29,584 new citizenships and 20,348 PRs in 2015
- More Singaporeans are residing overseas at 212,500 in 2015
- More Singaporeans are marrying foreigners at 6,593 in 2015
- Fertility rate increased to 1.25 from 1.19