Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Immigration to Singapore
Immigration to Singapore is the human migration of foreign nationals to Singapore for the purpose of residing there. Under Singapore nationality law and immigration law and policy, the jurisdiction offers permanent residency and citizenship to foreigners. Pull factors of Singapore include its strong currency, high living standards (including in education, work, wages and safety), high quality of life, low tax rates (e.g. no capital gains tax), and ease of doing business.
Immigration is historically the main impetus for population growth in the country since the founding of modern Singapore in the early 19th century due to its strategic location. During the 19th to 20th centuries, Singapore developed into a thriving and major entrepôt as immigrants and merchants across Asia were attracted by its free trade policy. For a long period after its founding, the majority of Singapore's population were immigrants. These immigrants also formed the bulk of the modern Singaporean population today. In the 1930s, the number of native births in Singapore overtook net immigration.
After its separation and independence in 1965, immigration laws were modified in 1966 to reinforce Singapore's identity as a sovereign state. Initial strict controls on immigrant workers were relaxed as demand for labour grew with increased industrialisation. Immigration would again become the largest contributor to population increase in Singapore in the late 20th century and early 21st century. These recent immigration and immigrant workers in Singapore have been closely associated with the development of the economy of Singapore. At the same time, rates of immigrants into Singapore after the 1990s raised concerns and discontent among citizens, and curbs on immigration were introduced, resulting in a more stringent immigration policy since the 2010s. In 2022, the government introduced a points-based immigration system for skilled applicants who wish to work in Singapore.
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) publishes a number of criteria for eligibility for anyone who wishes to reside, study and work in Singapore. Additionally, immigration is controlled to maintain the relative demographics of race in Singapore[how?] within the at roughly 75% ethnic Chinese, 15% Malay and 7% Indian, with a remaining 1–3% belonging to "other races".[failed verification]
Early population figures show that, for a long period of time, the growth of population in Singapore was fuelled by immigration that started soon after Stamford Raffles landed in Singapore in 1819. The founding of colonial Singapore as a free port led to a rapid influx of people, initially mostly Malays, quickly followed by Chinese. It was estimated that when Raffles arrived in Singapore in January 1819, Singapore had about 120 Malays, 30 Chinese and some indigenous Orang Laut tribe members. Another estimate put the total population of Singapore at 1,000, mostly of various local tribes. By 1821, the population was estimated to have increased to 4,724 Malays and 1,150 Chinese. Javanese, Bugis and Balinese also began to arrive. In the first census of 1824, out of the 10,683 total, 6,505 were Malays and Bugis constituting over 60% of the population. The total population of Singapore then increased to 16,000 by 1829, 26,000 five years later, and 60,000 by the beginning of 1850.
Chinese migrants started to enter Singapore from the Straits area and southern China to trade just months after it became a British settlement. Later migrant workers from China would also increase considerably to work on the pepper and gambier plantations, with 11,000 recorded in one year. Indian migrants also arrived, mostly from Bengal and the Coromandel Coast. Singapore became one of the entry and dispersal points for a large number of Chinese and Indian migrants who came to work in the plantations and mines of the Straits Settlements, some of whom then settled in Singapore after their contracts ended. By 1860, the total population had reached around 90,000, of these 50,000 were Chinese, and 2,445 Europeans and Eurasians. The first thorough census in Singapore was undertaken in 1871, and it showed that Chinese were the largest ethnic group at 57.6%. In 1901, the total population of Singapore was 228,555, with 15.8% Malays, 71.8% Chinese, 7.8% Indians, and 3.5% Europeans and Eurasians. The Chinese population of Singapore has stayed at over 70% of the total ever since.
The early population figures show that Chinese immigrants of the period were overwhelmingly male. The 1826 figures give a total population of 13,750, with 5,747 Chinese males and only 341 Chinese females, compared to 2,501 Malay males and 2,289 Malay females. The sex ratio of Indian migrants was similarly distorted. The imbalance of the sexes of the immigrant communities continued for a long time with the continual flow into Singapore of male migrant workers who were either single or had left their wives and children behind in China or India, for example the 1901 census figures show that there were 130,367 Chinese males and 33,674 Chinese females. Most of the early Chinese immigrants did not intend to settle permanently to raise their families there; they worked to send money back home, and many would return to China after they had earned enough money. For over a hundred years, the great proportion of the Chinese in Singapore were immigrants – by the late 1890s only around 10% of the Chinese population were native-born in Singapore. Later an increasing number would also choose to settle permanently in Singapore, especially in the 1920s when more chose to remain in Singapore rather than leave. Change in social attitude in the modern era also meant that Chinese women were freer to emigrate from China, and the sex ratio began to normalise in the 20th century, which led to a much greater number of people being born in Singapore. Immigration continued to be the main reason for the Chinese population increase in Singapore until the 1931–1947 period when the natural increase in population surpassed the net immigration figure.
Immigration from China and India to Singapore stopped during the years of Japanese occupation. After the Second World War, the immigration pattern shifted from the influx of migrants from other countries to movement of people between peninsular Malaya and Singapore, with a significant number of net migrants moving from Malaya to Singapore. However, after the declaration of independence of Malaya in 1957, the migration of people from Malaya began to fall.
Hub AI
Immigration to Singapore AI simulator
(@Immigration to Singapore_simulator)
Immigration to Singapore
Immigration to Singapore is the human migration of foreign nationals to Singapore for the purpose of residing there. Under Singapore nationality law and immigration law and policy, the jurisdiction offers permanent residency and citizenship to foreigners. Pull factors of Singapore include its strong currency, high living standards (including in education, work, wages and safety), high quality of life, low tax rates (e.g. no capital gains tax), and ease of doing business.
Immigration is historically the main impetus for population growth in the country since the founding of modern Singapore in the early 19th century due to its strategic location. During the 19th to 20th centuries, Singapore developed into a thriving and major entrepôt as immigrants and merchants across Asia were attracted by its free trade policy. For a long period after its founding, the majority of Singapore's population were immigrants. These immigrants also formed the bulk of the modern Singaporean population today. In the 1930s, the number of native births in Singapore overtook net immigration.
After its separation and independence in 1965, immigration laws were modified in 1966 to reinforce Singapore's identity as a sovereign state. Initial strict controls on immigrant workers were relaxed as demand for labour grew with increased industrialisation. Immigration would again become the largest contributor to population increase in Singapore in the late 20th century and early 21st century. These recent immigration and immigrant workers in Singapore have been closely associated with the development of the economy of Singapore. At the same time, rates of immigrants into Singapore after the 1990s raised concerns and discontent among citizens, and curbs on immigration were introduced, resulting in a more stringent immigration policy since the 2010s. In 2022, the government introduced a points-based immigration system for skilled applicants who wish to work in Singapore.
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) publishes a number of criteria for eligibility for anyone who wishes to reside, study and work in Singapore. Additionally, immigration is controlled to maintain the relative demographics of race in Singapore[how?] within the at roughly 75% ethnic Chinese, 15% Malay and 7% Indian, with a remaining 1–3% belonging to "other races".[failed verification]
Early population figures show that, for a long period of time, the growth of population in Singapore was fuelled by immigration that started soon after Stamford Raffles landed in Singapore in 1819. The founding of colonial Singapore as a free port led to a rapid influx of people, initially mostly Malays, quickly followed by Chinese. It was estimated that when Raffles arrived in Singapore in January 1819, Singapore had about 120 Malays, 30 Chinese and some indigenous Orang Laut tribe members. Another estimate put the total population of Singapore at 1,000, mostly of various local tribes. By 1821, the population was estimated to have increased to 4,724 Malays and 1,150 Chinese. Javanese, Bugis and Balinese also began to arrive. In the first census of 1824, out of the 10,683 total, 6,505 were Malays and Bugis constituting over 60% of the population. The total population of Singapore then increased to 16,000 by 1829, 26,000 five years later, and 60,000 by the beginning of 1850.
Chinese migrants started to enter Singapore from the Straits area and southern China to trade just months after it became a British settlement. Later migrant workers from China would also increase considerably to work on the pepper and gambier plantations, with 11,000 recorded in one year. Indian migrants also arrived, mostly from Bengal and the Coromandel Coast. Singapore became one of the entry and dispersal points for a large number of Chinese and Indian migrants who came to work in the plantations and mines of the Straits Settlements, some of whom then settled in Singapore after their contracts ended. By 1860, the total population had reached around 90,000, of these 50,000 were Chinese, and 2,445 Europeans and Eurasians. The first thorough census in Singapore was undertaken in 1871, and it showed that Chinese were the largest ethnic group at 57.6%. In 1901, the total population of Singapore was 228,555, with 15.8% Malays, 71.8% Chinese, 7.8% Indians, and 3.5% Europeans and Eurasians. The Chinese population of Singapore has stayed at over 70% of the total ever since.
The early population figures show that Chinese immigrants of the period were overwhelmingly male. The 1826 figures give a total population of 13,750, with 5,747 Chinese males and only 341 Chinese females, compared to 2,501 Malay males and 2,289 Malay females. The sex ratio of Indian migrants was similarly distorted. The imbalance of the sexes of the immigrant communities continued for a long time with the continual flow into Singapore of male migrant workers who were either single or had left their wives and children behind in China or India, for example the 1901 census figures show that there were 130,367 Chinese males and 33,674 Chinese females. Most of the early Chinese immigrants did not intend to settle permanently to raise their families there; they worked to send money back home, and many would return to China after they had earned enough money. For over a hundred years, the great proportion of the Chinese in Singapore were immigrants – by the late 1890s only around 10% of the Chinese population were native-born in Singapore. Later an increasing number would also choose to settle permanently in Singapore, especially in the 1920s when more chose to remain in Singapore rather than leave. Change in social attitude in the modern era also meant that Chinese women were freer to emigrate from China, and the sex ratio began to normalise in the 20th century, which led to a much greater number of people being born in Singapore. Immigration continued to be the main reason for the Chinese population increase in Singapore until the 1931–1947 period when the natural increase in population surpassed the net immigration figure.
Immigration from China and India to Singapore stopped during the years of Japanese occupation. After the Second World War, the immigration pattern shifted from the influx of migrants from other countries to movement of people between peninsular Malaya and Singapore, with a significant number of net migrants moving from Malaya to Singapore. However, after the declaration of independence of Malaya in 1957, the migration of people from Malaya began to fall.