Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Singapore
Singapore: Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas was 4,222 people in 2020. ▼ Falling
Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Singapore, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2020, number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Singapore stood at 4,222 people. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
The figure is up 35.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Singapore peaked at 4,222 people in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2,373 people, in 1985.
Singapore ranks 223rd of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Singapore, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 3,615 people | — |
| 1955 | 3,608 people | -0.2% |
| 1960 | 3,564 people | -1.2% |
| 1965 | 3,573 people | +0.3% |
| 1970 | 3,599 people | +0.7% |
| 1975 | 3,665 people | +1.8% |
| 1980 | 3,472 people | -5.3% |
| 1985 | 2,373 people | -31.7% |
| 1990 | 3,106 people | +30.9% |
| 1995 | 2,658 people | -14.4% |
| 2000 | 2,602 people | -2.1% |
| 2005 | 3,179 people | +22.2% |
| 2010 | 3,110 people | -2.2% |
| 2015 | 3,767 people | +21.1% |
| 2020 | 4,222 people | +12.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 3,612 people | 3,608 people | 3,615 people | 2 |
| 1960s | 3,568 people | 3,564 people | 3,573 people | 2 |
| 1970s | 3,632 people | 3,599 people | 3,665 people | 2 |
| 1980s | 2,922 people | 2,373 people | 3,472 people | 2 |
| 1990s | 2,882 people | 2,658 people | 3,106 people | 2 |
| 2000s | 2,890 people | 2,602 people | 3,179 people | 2 |
| 2010s | 3,438 people | 3,110 people | 3,767 people | 2 |
| 2020s | 4,222 people | 4,222 people | 4,222 people | 1 |
Countries ranked near Singapore
- 220 Cayman Islands 5,302 people compare
- 221 Aruba 5,030 people compare
- 222 Montserrat 4,508 people compare
- 224 Falkland Islands 3,506 people compare
- 225 Saint Martin (French part) 3,267 people compare
- 226 Tuvalu 2,869 people compare
More population data for Singapore
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.9668 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (2028)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.9668 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.0914 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 6,337 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.4648 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.5703 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.9% (2100)
- Population density 5,798 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 140,350 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Singapore?
- Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Singapore was 4,222 people in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Singapore?
- The highest recorded value was 4,222 people in 2020.
- What is the lowest number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Singapore?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,373 people in 1985.
- How does Singapore rank for number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas?
- Singapore ranks 223rd out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas rising or falling in Singapore?
- Over the last ten years it is up 35.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Singapore data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimated number of people living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.