Singapore’s population has hit an all-time high of 6.11 million by June 2025, according to official numbers released this week. This represents a 1.2% increase over the previous year, with the increase owing primarily to the growth of foreign workers in the city-state.

Foreign employment increased to 1.91 million, up 2.7% from June 2024. The majority of these people were employed in construction, maritime shipyards, processing industries, and as domestic helpers. Authorities emphasised that construction workers play an important role in supporting large-scale national initiatives like the development of Changi Airport’s Terminal 5 and the expansion of housing supply.

Singapore’s citizen population increased moderately by 0.7% to 3.66 million, while the number of permanent residents remained stable at 0.54 million. The National Population and Talent Division noted that the pace of foreign employment growth has stayed steady over the last year.

Population growth has long been a sensitive issue in Singapore, where space is limited and concerns about job stability and growing living costs are common. In 2013, there were public protests against plans to raise the population to 6.9 million by 2030.