Singapore

• 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

• 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

noun:

Singaporean(s)

adjective:

Singapore

total:

39.8 years (2025 est.)

male:

38 years

female:

40.6 years

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.)

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

total population:

86.7 years (2024 est.)

male:

84 years

female:

89.5 years

total:

1.81 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

1.26 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

0.27 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

0.24 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

16.2% (2025 est.)

male:

27.6% (2025 est.)

female:

3.8% (2025 est.)

women married by age 15:

0% (2023)

women married by age 18:

0.1% (2023)

• water pollution;
• industrial pollution;
• limited freshwater resources;
• waste disposal problems from limited land availability;
• air pollution;
• deforestation;
• seasonal smoke/haze from forest fires in Indonesia

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

• 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

urban population:

100% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

0.74% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

1.87 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

51.7% (2022 est.)

municipal:

198.207 million cubic meters (2022)

industrial:

162.624 million cubic meters (2022)

agricultural:

0 cubic meters (2022)

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

name:

Singapore

geographic coordinates:

1 17 N, 103 51 E

time difference:

UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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

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

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

chief of state:

President THARMAN Shanmugaratnam (since 14 September 2023)

head of government:

Prime Minister Lawrence WONG (since 15 May 2024)

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister; responsible to Parliament

election/appointment process:

• president directly elected by simple-majority popular vote for a 6-year term (no term limits);
• following legislative elections, the president appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as prime minister;
• deputy prime ministers also appointed by the president

most recent election date:

1 September 2023

election results:

• 2023: THARMAN Shanmugaratnam elected president;
• percent of vote - THARMAN Shanmugaratnam (independent) 70.4%, NG Kok Song (independent) 15.7%, TAN Kin Lian (independent) 13.9%

; 2017 : HALIMAH Yacob declared president on 13 September 2017, being the only eligible candidate

expected date of next election:

2029

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

chief of mission:

Ambassador LUI Tuck Yew (since 30 June 2023)

chancery:

3501 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 537-3100

FAX:

[1] (202) 537-0876

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://www.mfa.gov.sg/washington/

consulate(s) general:

San Francisco

consulate(s):

New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador Anjani K. SINHA (since 17 November 2025)

embassy:

27 Napier Road, Singapore 258508

mailing address:

4280 Singapore Place, Washington DC 20521-4280

telephone:

[65] 6476-9100

FAX:

[65] 6476-9340

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://sg.usembassy.gov/

description:

• 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

meaning:

• red stands for brotherhood and equality, and white for purity and virtue;
• the waxing crescent moon symbolizes a young nation on the ascendancy;
• the stars represent the national ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice, and equality

title:

"Majulah Singapura" (Onward, Singapore)

lyrics/music:

Zubir SAID

history:

• adopted 1959;
• the anthem is sung only in Malay;
• first four lines of the melody are used as a presidential salute

total World Heritage Sites:

1 (cultural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

Singapore Botanic Gardens

• 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

agriculture:

0% (2024 est.)

industry:

21.4% (2024 est.)

services:

73% (2024 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

total:

7.8% (2024 est.)

male:

5.6% (2024 est.)

female:

10.8% (2024 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

on food:

7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco:

1.7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

consumption:

1.153 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports:

97 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports:

1.326 million metric tons (2023 est.)

consumption:

13.134 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

exports:

399.452 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports:

13.973 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

• state-controlled broadcast media;
• 6 domestic TV stations operated by state-owned MediaCorp;
• broadcasts from Malaysian and Indonesian stations available;
• satellite dishes banned;
• multi-channel cable TV services available;
• 19 domestic radio stations, including 11 for MediaCorp, 5 for state-linked Singapore Press Holdings, 2 for Singapore Armed Forces Reservists Association, and 1 for BBC Radio;
• Malaysian and Indonesian radio stations available (2019)

total ports:

5 (2024)

large:

2

medium:

1

small:

1

very small:

1

ports with oil terminals:

3

key ports:

Jurong Island, Keppel - (East Singapore), Pulau Bukom, Pulau Sebarok

• 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)