01
Physical geography
Lowlying, gently undulating central plateau.
Local timeSingapore ·
Asia / South-Eastern Asia · Card 038
Singapore
Singapore is a country in South-Eastern Asia. Its capital is Singapore.
Find Singapore
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Singapore
- Languages
- English & Malay & Tamil & Chinese
- Currency
- Singapore dollar (SGD)
- Population
- 6.1 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 710 km²274 square miles
- Independence
- 1965from Malaysian Federation
Singapore in context
Asia and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Singapore; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include English, Malay, Tamil, Chinese.
03
Location
Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia.
Flag
Two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; a vertical white crescent is on the left side of the red band, with a circle of five five-pointed white stars to the right of the crescent
History & independence
Singapore became a British trading settlement in 1819 and later gained internal self-government. It joined Malaysia in 1963, then separated and became independent in 1965. Industrialization and investment in trade, housing and infrastructure supported its development as a city-state.
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British trading settlement established
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Singapore joins Malaysia
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Independent republic established
Economy
Main activities
Finance, trade, shipping, aviation, electronics, pharmaceuticals and professional services are important. International connections and skilled services are central to the economy.
Industry and production
electronics, chemicals, financial services, oil drilling equipment, petroleum refining, biomedical products, scientific instruments, telecommunication equipment, processed food and beverages, ship repair, offshore platform construction, entrepot trade
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people6.12025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2,074,507 | 2.075 |
| 1980 | 2,413,945 | 2.414 |
| 1990 | 3,047,132 | 3.047 |
| 2000 | 4,027,887 | 4.028 |
| 2010 | 5,076,732 | 5.077 |
| 2020 | 5,685,807 | 5.686 |
| 2025 | 6,111,175 | 6.111 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars432.02025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 70,914,989,180 | 70.915 |
| 1991 | 75,658,065,572 | 75.658 |
| 1992 | 80,681,614,024 | 80.682 |
| 1993 | 89,927,445,311 | 89.927 |
| 1994 | 99,905,515,247 | 99.906 |
| 1995 | 107,074,136,708 | 107.074 |
| 1996 | 115,074,063,972 | 115.074 |
| 1997 | 124,643,863,764 | 124.644 |
| 1998 | 121,912,898,005 | 121.913 |
| 1999 | 128,884,330,733 | 128.884 |
| 2000 | 140,533,304,239 | 140.533 |
| 2001 | 139,028,385,431 | 139.028 |
| 2002 | 144,482,970,560 | 144.483 |
| 2003 | 151,054,425,109 | 151.054 |
| 2004 | 166,069,208,808 | 166.069 |
| 2005 | 178,302,402,124 | 178.302 |
| 2006 | 194,361,682,396 | 194.362 |
| 2007 | 211,896,059,498 | 211.896 |
| 2008 | 215,844,707,508 | 215.845 |
| 2009 | 216,120,888,113 | 216.121 |
| 2010 | 247,501,100,140 | 247.501 |
| 2011 | 262,883,130,580 | 262.883 |
| 2012 | 274,543,305,512 | 274.543 |
| 2013 | 287,769,788,882 | 287.770 |
| 2014 | 299,095,084,829 | 299.095 |
| 2015 | 307,998,545,269 | 307.999 |
| 2016 | 320,044,223,810 | 320.044 |
| 2017 | 333,891,877,148 | 333.892 |
| 2018 | 344,531,704,035 | 344.532 |
| 2019 | 348,524,066,699 | 348.524 |
| 2020 | 335,939,410,470 | 335.939 |
| 2021 | 370,007,310,021 | 370.007 |
| 2022 | 384,845,634,899 | 384.846 |
| 2023 | 390,426,927,063 | 390.427 |
| 2024 | 411,289,436,837 | 411.289 |
| 2025 | 431,960,358,591 | 431.960 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.946Very High human developmentRank 13 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.819
20000.882
20100.932
20200.944
20230.946
83.7 yearsLife expectancy at birth
12.0 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Parliamentary republic. Parliament has one chamber (a unicameral legislature).
Knowledge check
Three questions about Singapore.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which feature is central to Singapore’s economy?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.