In 2023, residents aged 65 years and above made up 17.3 percent of the total resident population in Singapore. Singapore is currently one of the most rapidly aging societies in Asia, along with Japan. The elderly in Singapore Improvements in healthcare and the standard of living over the years have contributed to an increase in life expectancy in Singapore. This was reflected in the decreasing death rate of elderly residents over the decades. The increase in the share of the elderly population was further compounded by a decreasing total fertility rate, which was well below the 2.1 needed for a balanced population. By 2050, the elderly population in Singapore was forecasted to be a third of its total population. Economic burden of an aging society Singapore thus faces significant economic challenges due to an increasingly elderly population. The number of elderly dependents to the working age population had been steadily increasing. As Singaporeans face the prospect of living longer, more and more elderly had chosen to return to work after retirement. Singapore society still places the responsibility of caring for the elderly on younger family members. However, the burden of care is expected to increase with the years, and whether this model is sustainable remains to be seen.

In 2023, the percentage of the population of Singapore above the age of 65 years was estimated at 13.1 percent. Singapore currently faces a problem of an increasingly aging population coupled with a low fertility rate.

In 2024, there were around 754,000 residents aged 65 years and above in Singapore. Singapore is currently one of the most rapidly aging societies in Asia, along with Japan.

Dataset from Housing & Development Board. For more information, visit https://data.gov.sg/datasets/d_76eb0a0d52db203284c50ccfba84c815/view

Singapore Old-Age Support Ratio: Citizen: Per >65 Years: 15-64 Years data was reported at 4.300 Per Person in 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4.600 Per Person for 2018. Singapore Old-Age Support Ratio: Citizen: Per >65 Years: 15-64 Years data is updated yearly, averaging 8.600 Per Person from Jun 1970 (Median) to 2019, with 32 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 17.200 Per Person in 1970 and a record low of 4.300 Per Person in 2019. Singapore Old-Age Support Ratio: Citizen: Per >65 Years: 15-64 Years data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Department of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Singapore – Table SG.G001: Population: Statistics.

Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, both sexes (number) in Singapore was reported at 87695 Persons in 2018, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Singapore - Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, both sexes - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

Singapore SG: Population: Female: Aged 65 and Above data was reported at 391,871.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 373,878.000 Person for 2016. Singapore SG: Population: Female: Aged 65 and Above data is updated yearly, averaging 87,711.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 391,871.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 20,337.000 Person in 1960. Singapore SG: Population: Female: Aged 65 and Above data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Singapore – Table SG.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Female population 65 years of age or older. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.; ; World Bank staff estimates using the World Bank's total population and age/sex distributions of the United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Sum; Relevance to gender indicator: Knowing how many girls, adolescents and women there are in a population helps a country in determining its provision of services.

In 2023, the old-age dependency ratio in Singapore was at 25.2 residents aged 65 years and older per hundred residents aged 15 to 64 years. In the last ten years, this ratio has increased from 15.2 in 2014. Singapore is facing the challenge of an increasingly aging population and a declining birth rate, leading to a possible continuation of the trend of increasing old-age dependency ratio.

As of June 2024, there were approximately 320,490 residents between the ages of 30 to 34 years old in Singapore, making it the largest age group among its resident population. This reflects the increasingly aging population of Singapore, a significant demographical shift that will have long-lasting socio-economic repercussions. Living longer… The improvements in health care and quality of life has led to Singapore having one of the highest life expectancies in the world. Coupled with one of the lowest fertility rate globally, Singapore society faces a crisis of aging. The average age of its resident population is projected to increase to just under 51 years old by 2050. …and working longer The prospect of an aging population is worrying for a country whose most important resource is its people. The current retirement age of 62 would no longer be tenable when close to half the population is expected to be aged 65 years or older by 2050. There is already a trend of elderly workers re-entering the workforce, be it to keep themselves occupied or to support themselves financially. The share of the population who would be working well into old age looks set to increase in the future, as a majority of Singaporeans have indicated that they were not financially prepared for old age.Singapore is well-known for its emphasis on career and shunning welfare policies; however, there is an urgent need to rethink and overhaul its social security and medical care systems to weather the silver tsunami that is set to engulf the island state.

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes (%) in Singapore was reported at 86.44 % in 2018, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Singapore - Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, both sexes - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

Dataset from Singapore Department of Statistics. For more information, visit https://data.gov.sg/datasets/d_753e2c1b53422dfd6fc7d9cbe7b71448/view

The median age of the population of Singapore has been increasing since 1965, and is projected to reach 56 years by 2100. The median age is the age that divides a population into two numerically equal groups, such that half the people are younger than this age and half are older. An aging population As Singapore’s median age increases, its fertility rate has decreased. In 2017, Singapore’s fertility rate was 1.16 children per woman of childbearing age, which is below the amount needed to replace the population. Additionally, Singapore is one of the leading countries and territories with the highest life expectancy at birth; an expectancy of 87.63 years. As such, Singapore is faced with adapting to aging population and a growing ratio of old-age dependency. A trend of population aging Many countries are facing this demographic dilemma: the global median age is projected to grow from 29.6 in 2015 to around 41.6 years through the end of the century. Population aging could be one of the most substantial societal transformations of the twenty-first century, affecting most sectors of society, including healthcare, housing, and pensions.

In 2040, the percentage of the population of Singapore above the age of 65 was forecasted to reach more than 29 percent. Comparatively, the share of population older than 65 in Laos was forecasted to reach about 7.6 percent.

Dataset from Singapore Department of Statistics. For more information, visit https://data.gov.sg/datasets/d_71282469d7642447115f4f58cb936753/view

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male (%) in Singapore was reported at 95.49 % in 2018, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Singapore - Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

Dataset from Singapore Department of Statistics. For more information, visit https://data.gov.sg/datasets/d_45acf574880ac493ec638f72338e62d5/view

Dataset from Singapore Department of Statistics. For more information, visit https://data.gov.sg/datasets/d_cfc06ffb6ba5ef2f124dbfd57bae744d/view

Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female (number) in Singapore was reported at 73697 Persons in 2018, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Singapore - Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, female - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on April of 2025.

Singapore SG: Population: as % of Total: Aged 15-64 data was reported at 72.097 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 72.472 % for 2016. Singapore SG: Population: as % of Total: Aged 15-64 data is updated yearly, averaging 70.995 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 73.640 % in 2010 and a record low of 53.312 % in 1963. Singapore SG: Population: as % of Total: Aged 15-64 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Singapore – Table SG.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Total population between the ages 15 to 64 as a percentage of the total population. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average;

Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male (number) in Singapore was reported at 13998 Persons in 2018, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Singapore - Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.