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Country profile · Southeast Asia

Singapore

Singapore is a city-state of about 6.21 million people at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. The People's Action Party has governed since 1959. Lawrence Wong has been prime minister since 2024. Singapore's port handled a record 44.66 million containers in 2025. The resident fertility rate fell to a record low of 0.87 children per woman in 2025.

Updated October 2026 · Data from the UN, IMF, SIPRI and IISS

The Tanjong Pagar container terminal at dusk, with stacked containers, cranes, a lit container ship and the sea and islands beyond Map of Southeast Asia with Singapore highlighted
Tanjong Pagar container terminal seen from Asia Square, April 2014. Photo: Nicolas Lannuzel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)

Where Singapore ranks

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Which country has the biggest army? Largest armies in the world →

Which alliances is Singapore in?

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Who runs Singapore?

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong was born in Singapore in 1972 and grew up in a public housing flat. He studied economics in the United States and worked as a government economist before he entered parliament in 2011. He became the fourth prime minister on May 15, 2024. His father gave him a guitar when he was eight, and he busked as a student in the United States. The People's Action Party has governed since 1959. In the election of May 3, 2025 it won 65.57% of the vote and 87 of 97 elected seats. One of its MPs resigned in July 2026, and no by-election will be held (chart). The Workers' Party holds the other 10 seats. Its leader, Pritam Singh, was convicted in 2025 of lying to a parliamentary committee. On January 15, 2026 Wong removed him as Leader of the Opposition, and the post is still empty. President Tharman Shanmugaratnam was elected in 2023 with 70.41% of the vote.

Lawrence Wong
Lawrence Wong
Prime Minister since 2024
People's Action Party
Elected seats in parliament, October 202697 seats
49 for a majority
  • People's Action Party (Wong) 86
  • Workers' Party 10
  • Vacant 1

Photo (May 2023): Cabinet Public Relations Office, Government of Japan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (cropped)

Who are Singapore's allies and rivals?

Singapore has no defense treaty with the United States. A 1990 agreement, renewed in 2019 until 2035, lets US forces use its air and naval bases. US Navy ships rotate through Changi Naval Base. In October 2026 a Chinese navy task force also stopped at Changi. Singapore and China upgraded their ties in 2023, and Singapore follows a "One China" policy. Singaporean soldiers have trained in Taiwan since 1975. A 1962 agreement lets Singapore draw up to 250 million gallons of water a day from Malaysia's Johor River until 2061. A rail link to Johor Bahru will open in February 2027. Singapore belongs to the Five Power Defence Arrangements of 1971 with the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia. The members agree to consult in a crisis, not to fight. Since July 24, 2026 the United States has charged a 12.5% tariff on about a third of Singapore's own exports to it.

Allies and partners

  • United StatesIts forces use Singapore's bases
  • MalaysiaSupplies water under a 1962 deal
  • AustraliaHosts Singapore's troops for training
  • IndonesiaDefense and airspace deals since 2024
  • Brunei50 years of defense ties
Map of Singapore and the Strait of Malacca with Malaysia and Indonesia marked as partners, and pins on the Johor River, Pedra Branca, the Strait of Malacca and Riau
  1. Johor River Singapore may draw up to 250 million gallons of water a day from this river until 2061.
  2. Pedra Branca The International Court of Justice gave this island to Singapore in 2008. Nearby Middle Rocks went to Malaysia.
  3. Strait of Malacca About 22% of the world's seaborne trade passes through the strait.
  4. Riau, Sumatra Fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan sent haze over Singapore in September and October 2026.
  • Singapore
  • Partner

Who does Singapore trade with?

Singapore exported $566 billion of goods in 2025 and imported $504 billion (UN Comtrade). Hong Kong bought 11.1% of exports and China 10.9% (chart). Taiwan supplied 16.1% of imports, mostly chips, and in 2025 it became Singapore's largest trading partner for the first time. About 61.5% of exports were re-exports, goods brought in and sent on. The port handled a record 44.66 million containers (TEU) in 2025, and about 90% of them only changed ships there. Singapore also sells more ship fuel than any other port. About 22% of the world's seaborne trade passes through the Strait of Malacca. GDP per person was about $500 in 1965 and $99,365 in 2025 (IMF), the fifth highest in the world. The economy grew 5.0% in 2025, and the government expects 4.5% to 5.5% in 2026, helped by demand for AI chips. Temasek, one of the state's investment funds, held S$518 billion in March 2026.

Sells to

Share of Singapore's exports

  1. Hong Kong11.1%
  2. China10.9%
  3. Malaysia9.9%
  4. United States9.6%
  5. Taiwan8.7%

Buys from

Share of Singapore's imports

  1. Taiwan16.1%
  2. China12.5%
  3. Malaysia10.9%
  4. United States10.6%
  5. South Korea6.4%

Goods, 2025. UN Comtrade (Singapore's own figures, re-exports included).

Why are so few babies born in Singapore?

Singapore's resident fertility rate fell to a record low of 0.87 children per woman in 2025, from 1.24 in 2015 (Department of Statistics). The UN's estimate of 0.96 is also among the lowest in the world (chart). Ethnic Chinese women had 0.70 children on average in 2025, Malay women 1.53 and Indian women 0.92. In 1972 the government began a "Stop at Two" campaign. In 1987 it changed course with "Have Three or More (if you can afford it)", and since 2001 it has paid parents a Baby Bonus. Married couples name the cost of raising children as their top worry, followed by stress and balancing work and family. In August 2026 Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced a package worth up to S$62,000 per child from April 1, 2027, and cheaper childcare from 2028. Immigration fills the gap: 1.98 million of the 6.21 million people are not residents, and 21.4% of citizens are 65 or older.

Births per woman, 2025 (UN estimate)

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  1. South Korea0.75
  2. Taiwan0.86
  3. Singapore0.96
  4. China1.02
  5. Thailand1.19
  6. Japan1.23
  7. Malaysia1.53
  8. United States1.62

UN World Population Prospects 2024

How does Singapore defend itself?

Singapore spent $17.4 billion on its military in 2025, more than any other country in Southeast Asia (SIPRI) (chart). Its 2026 defense budget is S$24.93 billion, up 6.4%. After independence in 1965, Israeli military advisers helped build the Singapore Armed Forces. They were nicknamed "Mexicans" to keep their presence secret. Male citizens and the sons of permanent residents serve two years of National Service from the age of 18. The island has no room for large exercises, so its forces train abroad. Pilots train in the United States, and soldiers train in Australia, Brunei and Taiwan. In 2025 about 5,200 Singaporean troops took part in one exercise in Queensland. Singapore has ordered 20 F-35 fighter jets. The first four are due in late 2026 and will be based in Arkansas at first. On October 13 and 14, 2026 two Singapore-registered container ships were hit in the Strait of Hormuz, and one sank. Their crews were rescued.

Military spending, 2025

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  1. South Korea$47.8bn
  2. Australia$35.3bn
  3. Taiwan$18.2bn
  4. Singapore$17.4bn
  5. Indonesia$15.0bn
  6. Vietnam$10.5bn
  7. Philippines$6.4bn
  8. Thailand$6.0bn
  9. Malaysia$4.9bn

SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, 2026 edition

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