Singapore's total population reached 4.84 million in 2008, up 5.5 percent over the previous year, due mainly to the influx of foreigners, according to media in Singapore.

The number of Singapore residents, including Singapore citizens and permanent residents, rose 1.7 percent to 3.64 million in June last year, the English newspaper Straits Times' website reported, citing a report by Singapore's National Population Secretariat.

The report said that there were nearly 79,200 new permanent residents and over 20,500 new citizens in 2008. The number is up about 20 percent compared to 2007.

Singapore's total fertility rate of 1.28 in 2008, remained below the replacement level of 2.1.

The rate of residents aged 65 years and above increased to 8.7 percent in 2008./.