World Immigration News

More new citizens for a baby-scarce S’pore: Can integration into society balance rising immigration?

Release Date: 2026-03-15
Media: The Straits Times
Summary: Musician Ma Huan moved from Tianjin, China, to Singapore in 2010 to join the Singapore Chinese Orchestra. Through everyday experiences, she gradually learned local social norms and developed an interest in Singapore’s multicultural society. Inspired by this environment, she composed works reflecting cultural diversity and eventually became a Singapore citizen in 2023 together with her daughter, while her husband later obtained permanent residency.

Singapore is expected to welcome more immigrants in the coming years as the country faces a rapidly ageing population and a sharply declining birth rate. The total fertility rate fell to a record low of 0.87 in 2025, and the government warned that the citizen population could begin shrinking in the early 2040s without intervention.

To address this challenge, the government plans to maintain a carefully managed immigration policy. Over the next five years, it expects to grant 25,000 to 30,000 new citizenships annually and increase the number of permanent residents to about 40,000 per year. Officials emphasize that immigration is necessary to sustain the workforce and support the economy.

However, immigration has also raised public concerns. Some Singaporeans worry about job competition, pressure on public infrastructure, and social tensions. In response, the government has stressed the importance of integration policies, maintaining a strong citizen core, and preserving the country’s ethnic balance while ensuring infrastructure development keeps pace with population growth.
Tags: Singapore

News Articles including "Singapore"

Released on

Article Title