Illustrative image (Photo: AFP) Singapore (VNA) – Singapore’s population saw a record drop due to COVID-19 countermeasures, according to the annual report Population in Brief issued by the Singaporean Government on September 28.
As of June, the number of citizens, permanent residents and non-permanent residents declined to 5.45 million compared to 5.69 million last year, or a 4.1 percent drop, the highest fall since 1950.
The decrease was seen across all types, with the largest drop in work permit holders in the construction, marine shipyard and processing sectors, accounting for 20 percent.
According to the report, travel restrictions during the pandemic was the main factor affecting the size of the citizen and permanent resident population in 2021, as more of them were staying overseas continuously for 12 months or more, who therefore were not counted as part of the resident population.
The proportion of seniors – aged 65 and above – is rising, and at a faster pace than the last decade, as large cohorts of “baby boomers” have begun joining this age group.
This proportion is expected to increase to about 23.8 percent in 2030, the report said./.
