Singapore Facts & Figures
The Executive
Head of State and Cabinet Head of State: Mr S R Nathan became the second Elected President on 1 September 1999. On 17 August 2005, Mr Nathan was re-elected and he was sworn-in for his second term of office on 1 September 2005. The President is elected for a fixed term of 6 years.
Head of State and Cabinet Head of State: Mr S R Nathan became the second Elected President on 1 September 1999. On 17 August 2005, Mr Nathan was re-elected and he was sworn-in for his second term of office on 1 September 2005. The President is elected for a fixed term of 6 years.
Cabinet
Led by the Prime Minister, Mr Lee Hsien Loong (since 12 Aug 2004), Parliament is elected by general election every five years. The first sitting of Parliament was held on 8 Dec 1965. The first general election for Parliament was held on 13 Apr 1968. There are 23 registered political parties. The present Eleventh Parliament, constituted by general election held on 6 May 2006 has 94 Members of Parliament (MPs) consisting of 84 elected MPs, one Non-Constituency MP and nine Nominated MPs. At the election, voters returned 82 candidates from the People's Action Party (PAP), one candidate from the Worker’s Party and one candidate from the Singapore Democratic Alliance to Parliament.
Led by the Prime Minister, Mr Lee Hsien Loong (since 12 Aug 2004), Parliament is elected by general election every five years. The first sitting of Parliament was held on 8 Dec 1965. The first general election for Parliament was held on 13 Apr 1968. There are 23 registered political parties. The present Eleventh Parliament, constituted by general election held on 6 May 2006 has 94 Members of Parliament (MPs) consisting of 84 elected MPs, one Non-Constituency MP and nine Nominated MPs. At the election, voters returned 82 candidates from the People's Action Party (PAP), one candidate from the Worker’s Party and one candidate from the Singapore Democratic Alliance to Parliament.
The Judiciary
The Supreme Court and the Subordinate Courts
The Judiciary is one of the three constitutional pillars of government, along with the Legislature and the Executive. As an Organ of State, the Judiciary's function is to administer justice independently. The Judiciary is safeguarded by the Constitution.
The Supreme Court and the Subordinate Courts
The Judiciary is one of the three constitutional pillars of government, along with the Legislature and the Executive. As an Organ of State, the Judiciary's function is to administer justice independently. The Judiciary is safeguarded by the Constitution.
The people of Singapore are largely descendants of immigrants from the Malay Peninsula, China and the Indian sub-continent.
| In 2009 | |
Total population ('000) | 4,987.6 |
Resident population ('000) | 3,733.9 |
Resident population growth (per sg km) | 1.7% per annum |
Population Density | 7,022.81 |
Population by Race | Chinese (74.2%); Malay (13.4%); Indians (9.2%); Others (3.2%) |
Population by age ('000) | Below 15 (671.3); 15- 64 (2,655.6); 65 and above (315.8) |
Official languages | English (Language of administration), Mandarin, Malay (National Language) & Tamil |
Main religions | Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Taoism, Hindusim, |
| For more detailed information, please visit the Singapore Department of Statistics | |
| Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2009 | |
| GDP at current market price ($m) | 257,640.4 |
| Per capita GDP at market price | 51,656.0 |
| Money supply | 93,472.1* |
| Official foreign reserves | 263,955.4 |
| *Refers to the currency in active circulation and private sector demand deposits at end of year | |
Trade (2009) | |
| Total trade ($m) | 747,417.3 |
| Total imports ($m) | 356,299.3 |
| Total exports ($m) | 391,118.1 |
Productivity and Inflation | |
| Annual Growth in Labour Productivity (%) | -4.7 |
| Annual Inflation Rate (%) | 0.6 |
Manufacturing | |
| Total Output 6/7($m) | 213,699.8 |
Investment Commitments in Manufacturing & Services | 11,753.9 |
Foreign Investments* ($m) | 8,385.6 |
| * Major trading partners: France, Germany, United Kingdom, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, China, Saudi Arabia, United States of America and Australia. | |
Employment (June 2009) | |
| Labour force ('000) | 3,030.0 |
| Employed persons ('000) | 2,905.9 |
Unemployment rate* (%) | 2.2 |
65.4 | |
Males | 76.3 |
Females | 55.2 |
| * Adjusted seasonally ** Based on the population aged 15 years and above | |
Central Provident Fund
A social security savings scheme in which all employees and their employers contribute a percentage of their salary. Employees below 55 years contribute 20% while employers contribute 14.5%. Employees 55 years and above contribute at lower rates. In addition to providing security for old age, this fund can also be used for healthcare, home ownership and asset enhancement.
There are 3.28 million CPF members and the CPF balance stood at $163.59 billion (as of September 2009).
Wage policies
The National Wages Council is made up of representatives from the government, employers groups & trade unions. The council advises the government on wage policies, and issues guidelines that are in line with long term economic objectives . There are 70 registered employees' trade unions and three employer unions and a federation of employee trade union, also known as the National Trade Union Congress (NTUC). NTUC works closely with the government and business sector to look after workers' interests.
Literacy and education rates in 2009 | |
Literacy Rate* (%) | 96.3 |
Secondary or higher qualifications** (%) | 89.6 |
Average number of years spend schooling*** | 9.7 |
| * Based on the population aged 15 years and above ** Based on the population of non-students aged between 25 and 39 years *** Based on the population of non-students aged 25 years and above | |
Transport and Communications | |
Sea cargo handled (Million Freight Tonnes) | 472.3 |
Air cargo handled ('000 Tonnes) | 1,636.6 |
International telephone call minutes (Million) | 10,138.1 |
Services and Tourism | |
Annual growth in retail (%) | -9.4 |
Visitor arrivals* ('000) | 9,681.3 |
Hotel occupancy (%) | 76.1 |
| * Not including land arrivals from Malaysia | |
Airport statistics (up to 2009):
• Total number of airlines served: 85 (scheduled)
• Connects Singapore to more than 200 cities in 60 countries
• Number of flights per week: 5,000
Mobile Penetration (2009) | |
Total Mobile Subscriptions(2G+3G)* ('000) | 6,857 |
Total SMS Messages (2G+3G) (Million) | 2,060.1M |
Mobile Penetration | 137.5% |
| * Total Mobile Subscriptions includes both pre-paid (2G) and post-paid (2G) as well 3G subscriptions. Statistics for 3G subscriptions are collected from May 2005 onwards. | |
Broadband Internet Subscriptions (2009) | |
Total Broadband* ('000) | 4,736 |
Total Residential Broadband ('000) | 1,654 |
Total Corporate Broadband ('000) | 150 |
Household Broadband Penetration** | 142.2% |
| * With effect from April 2007, Total Broadband subscriptions includes retail xDSL, cable modems, leased line Internet, 3G, 3.5G/HSDPA, WiMAX or its equivalent and Wi-Fi hotspots access (including Wireless@SG subscriptions). **From April 2007, the Household Broadband Penetration rate includes wireless access plans (provided via 3.5G/HSDPA and WiMAX or its equivalent). It excludes subscriptions to 3G and Wi-Fi hotspots. This figure is computed using the total number of residential broadband subscribers on a per household basis | |
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