In 2024, residents aged 65 years and above made up 18 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 **** percent. Singapore currently faces a problem of an increasingly aging population coupled with a low fertility rate.

Dataset from Housing & Development Board. For more information, visit https://data.gov.sg/datasets/d_4180067b350bc9839a4cea487841d5d1/view

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 August of 2025.

Singapore Old-Age Support Ratio: Resident: Per Elderly >65 Years: 20-64 Years data was reported at 4.500 Per Person in 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4.800 Per Person for 2018. Singapore Old-Age Support Ratio: Resident: Per Elderly >65 Years: 20-64 Years data is updated yearly, averaging 10.600 Per Person from Jun 1957 (Median) to 2019, with 63 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 21.300 Per Person in 1957 and a record low of 4.500 Per Person in 2019. Singapore Old-Age Support Ratio: Resident: Per Elderly >65 Years: 20-64 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.

In 2023, residents aged 65 years and above made up *** percent of the total employed resident population in Singapore. Improvements in healthcare and the standard of living over the years have contributed to an increase in life expectancy in Singapore. As a consequence, Singapore is currently one of the most rapidly aging societies, including an aging workforce, in Asia. Aging workforce The minimum retirement age in Singapore is currently set at 62 years old. Even so, **** percent of residents aged 65 years old were still employed or seeking employment. For many Singaporeans, retirement brings with it an increased economic burden. There is no system of state-funded pensions, and retirees depend largely on their savings. However, a survey on current working age Singaporeans found that few were financially prepared for retirement. Increased financial dependency on elderly breadwinners An increasingly elderly population has also led to the trend of increasing number of households who depend on elderly breadwinners, almost tripling since 2000. The number of elderly single-person households have also increased. To mitigate the economic burden on the elderly, the Singapore government has launched several upskilling programs to ensure that the elderly remain competitive in the workforce. However, beyond extending their employability, few other social safety nets are currently available to ensure a comfortable retirement for the elderly, regardless of income level.

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 August of 2025.

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 July of 2025.

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

Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female in Singapore was reported at 84.04 % 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 August of 2025.

In 2024, the old-age dependency ratio in Singapore was at 26.5 residents aged 65 years and older per hundred residents aged 15 to 64 years. In the last ten years, this ratio has increased from 16.2 in 2015. 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.

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 August of 2025.

Singapore SG: Population: Male: Aged 65 and Above data was reported at 333,320.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 315,310.000 Person for 2016. Singapore SG: Population: Male: Aged 65 and Above data is updated yearly, averaging 71,227.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 333,320.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 13,325.000 Person in 1960. Singapore SG: Population: Male: 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: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Male 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;

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 August of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Age Dependency Ratio: Older Dependents to Working-Age Population for Singapore (SPPOPDPNDOLSGP) from 1960 to 2024 about 64 years +, Singapore, working-age, ratio, and population.

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female (%) in Singapore was reported at 78.94 % in 2018, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Singapore - Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, female - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Population ages 65 and above for Singapore (SPPOP65UPTOZSSGP) from 1960 to 2024 about 65-years +, Singapore, and population.

In 2023, the average life expectancy at birth in Singapore was 83 years. The average life expectancy for residents there had increased in the last ten years, corresponding with the increasing economic progress of the country. Investments in medical advances and disease management Singapore’s expenditure on health as a percentage of the GDP plays a significant role in increasing the life expectancy in the country. In 2018, the Singaporean government spent approximately 1.79 thousand Singapore dollars per inhabitant on health. Improvements in health care and medical technology, an integrated health care system, as well as access to sanitation and reduced risk of infectious diseases, all helped the population of the country to achieve longer life. Healthy life expectancy versus life expectancy In healthy life expectancy, which refers to the number of years people live in full health, Singapore topped the list in 2017 at 72.6 years and 75.8 years, for males and females respectively. This means that the average Singaporean would live about 10 years in ill health in 2017. The prospect of an ageing and unhealthy population is worrying for a country whose most important resource is its people. By 2050, close to half the population is expected to be aged 65 years or older. It is thus crucial to increase life expectancy while simultaneously reducing the amount of time people spend in poor health. According to the survey among Singapore residents in March 2018, only 23 percent of respondents stated that they were ready for retirement or old age in terms of their health.

This study compares projections, up to year 2040, of young-old (aged 60-79) and old-old (aged 80+) with functional disability in Singapore with and without accounting for the changing educational composition of the Singaporean elderly. Two multi-state population models, with and without accounting for educational composition respectively, were developed, parameterized with age-gender-(education)-specific transition probabilities (between active, functional disability and death states) estimated from two waves (2009 and 2011) of a nationally representative survey of community-dwelling Singaporeans aged ≥60 years (N=4,990). Probabilistic sensitivity analysis with the bootstrap method was used to obtain the 95% confidence interval of the transition probabilities. Not accounting for educational composition overestimated the young-old with functional disability by 65 percent and underestimated the old-old by 20 percent in 2040. Accounting for educational composition, the proportion of old-old with functional disability increased from 40.8 percent in 2000 to 64.4 percent by 2040; not accounting for educational composition, the proportion in 2040 was 49.4 percent. Since the health profiles, and hence care needs, of the old-old differ from those of the young-old, health care service utilization and expenditure and the demand for formal and informal caregiving will be affected, impacting health and long-term care policy.

Singapore SG: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population data was reported at 38.703 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 37.984 % for 2016. Singapore SG: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population data is updated yearly, averaging 40.855 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 87.574 % in 1963 and a record low of 35.796 % in 2010. Singapore SG: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population 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. Age dependency ratio is the ratio of dependents--people younger than 15 or older than 64--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average; Relevance to gender indicator: this indicator implies the dependency burden that the working-age population bears in relation to children and the elderly. Many times single or widowed women who are the sole caregiver of a household have a high dependency ratio.