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Singapore's population growth rate hits decade low in 2014

Xinhua, March 10, 2015 Adjust font size:

Singapore's overall population growth rate hit a decade low of 1.3 percent year on year in 2014, said Grace Fu, minister in the Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday.

This is far below the average annual population growth rate of 3.5 percent from 2005 to 2010.

Fu attributed the decline to curbs of foreign workers in recent years.

The total fertility rate increased from 1.19 in 2013 to 1.25 last year, and about 24,000 marriages which involves at least one citizen were recorded in 2014, the highest since 1997, she said.

Despite the drop in the growth rate, Fu said the size of the permanent resident population in Singapore has stabilized over the past two years.

A total of 20,348 Singaporean citizenships and 29,854 new permanent residences were granted last year, while citizen births increased to 33,000 in 2014, up 2,000 from the previous year.

"In all, we remain committed to our goal of a sustainable population, to ensure that Singapore remains a good home for Singaporeans of all ages to live, work and play," she said. Endi