People & Society

Photo credits: Ministry of Culture, Community & Youth

A strong and cohesive Singapore society is one that embraces diversity. Singapore has a rich history of welcoming people of different cultures and backgrounds; many Singaporeans can trace their ancestry beyond the country’s shores.

The coexistence and intermixing of cultures continue today. 19% of citizen marriages in 2025 were inter-ethnic (Chart 8).^[1] This proportion has remained largely stable since 2015.

Transnational marriages made up 37% of citizen marriages in 2025 (Chart 9). This proportion has remained largely stable since 2015, barring dips in the COVID years of 2020 to 2021.^[2]

Chart 8: Inter-ethnic marriages as a proportion of citizen marriages

Source: Department of Statistics
The figures are based on the full calendar year (January to December).

Chart 9: Transnational marriages as a proportion of citizen marriages

Source: Department of Statistics
The figures are based on the full calendar year (January to December).

Immigration helps to moderate the impact of ageing and low birth rates on our citizen population, and keeps the citizen population from shrinking over the long term. Our PRs and new citizens also add to the vibrancy of Singapore’s society and economy.

Singapore takes in a carefully controlled number of new citizens and PRs each year. We are intentional in granting citizenships and PRs to assimilable individuals who can contribute to Singapore, integrate well, and are committed to making Singapore their home. Many of our new citizens and PRs either share family ties with Singaporeans (e.g., through marriage), or have studied, worked or lived in Singapore for some time.

All new adult citizens come from our pool of PRs, as individuals have to obtain permanent residency before they may apply for citizenship in Singapore. Our PR population size remains stable at around half a million, with the majority of our PRs aged between 25 and 59 years (Chart 10).

Chart 10: Age pyramid of resident population, as at June 2026

Source: Department of Statistics

We continue to maintain a measured pace of immigration. In 2025, 25,094 individuals were granted citizenship and 35,352 individuals were granted permanent residency. The average number of citizenships and permanent residencies granted per year over 2021 to 2025 (22,400 citizenships and 34,600 permanent residencies) was higher than from 2016 to 2020 (20,600 citizenships and 31,200 permanent residencies) (Chart 11).

Chart 11: Number of Citizenships and Permanent Residencies granted

Source: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority
The figures are based on the full calendar year (January to December).

The exact number of PRs and citizenships granted each year depends on several factors, including the number and quality of applications received and our changing needs. Various markers of integration are considered, such as family ties to Singaporeans, length of residency, and whether they have studied in our national schools or completed National Service. Other factors considered include the applicant’s economic contributions, qualifications and age.

It is important for new citizens and PRs to be integrated into our communities. To help them along, the National Integration Council (NIC) (opens in new tab) supports initiatives such as the Singapore Citizenship Journey (SCJ) (opens in new tab), a collaboration between the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) (opens in new tab), the People's Association (PA) (opens in new tab) and the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) (opens in new tab). All new citizens aged 16 to 60 must complete the SCJ before obtaining their citizenship.^[4] The programme helps new citizens understand Singapore’s history, our norms and values, and build stronger ties with the local community. A nation-wide grassroots network of more than 1,500 Integration and Naturalisation Champions (INCs) also helps drive integration efforts in neighbourhoods.^[5]

Our integration efforts seek to create acceptance, mutual understanding and mutual respect between locals and foreigners. Fostering social integration is an ongoing and two-way process involving interactions between locals and newcomers. As we continue to encourage newcomers to integrate and adopt Singapore’s norms and values, we also encourage all Singaporeans to remain open to help educate newcomers about local culture and norms.

[1] Inter-ethnic marriages refer to marriages between persons of different ethnic groups, namely Chinese, Malay, Indian and Others.

[2] Transnational marriages refer to marriages between a citizen and a non-citizen (i.e. PR or NR).

[3] The small group of new citizens who were not PRs prior to obtaining citizenship were minors who were either (i) children of citizens, or (ii) children of PRs who were included as dependants in their parents’ citizenship application.

[4] Launched in 2011, the Singapore Citizenship Journey comprises an online e-learning module with a quiz component, an experiential learning programme and a Community Sharing Session with local community leaders.

[5] INCs develop and implement programmes to welcome and integrate new citizens. They play a pivotal role in bridging cultural gaps and fostering a sense of belonging, leveraging their understanding of both local culture and the challenges faced by newcomers.