Singapore’s population reached a record 6.21 million in June 2026, up 1.6% from a year earlier, as foreign residents rose 3.7% to 1.98 million. Growth has resumed steadily since pandemic restrictions were lifted, after measures keeping foreigners away contributed to rare population declines. The increase comes amid political sensitivity over immigration in land-scarce Singapore, where voters remain concerned about employment and living costs. Unemployment stood at 1.9% in the second quarter of 2026, although retrenchments reached their highest level since the middle of the COVID pandemic in 2020. Singapore has said it aims to grant citizenship to up to 30,000 people annually over the next five years to address low birth rates and population ageing. Residents aged 65 and above accounted for 19.5% in June 2026, compared with 18.8% in 2025 and 12.4% in 2016. The government also raised its 2026 economic growth forecast to 4.5%-5.5% in August from 2.0%-4.0% after stronger-than-initially-estimated second-quarter growth.