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In 2025, the population density of Singapore was 8,300 people per square kilometers. The population of Singapore had been increasing over the years within a very limited space, posing challenges such as housing shortages and land scarcity. 

Limited land, expanding population

With an urban population of around 5.9 million people in 2022 and a land area of approximately 720 square kilometers, Singapore was the third most densely populated territory in the world. This was not expected to ease in the near future, with the population of Singapore estimated to grow to 6.52 million people in 2035. While this might not come close to the population size of other Asian metropolises such as Tokyo or Bangkok, the lack of land available for development poses a great challenge to the island city-state. Since its independence in 1965, Singapore has increased its land area from 581.5 square kilometers to its current size through land reclamation. However, Singapore’s proximity to Malaysia and the Riau Islands in Indonesia effectively limit the available area for reclamation to its maritime borders.

The importance of urban planning

Urban planning in Singapore must therefore make effective use of what little land is available without compromising livability. Most residents live in apartments situated in high-rise buildings, with a large majority of the population living in public housing provided by the Housing Development Board. Rooftop gardens, tree-lined roads and green innovations such as vertical farming and “breathing walls” help soften the presence of all that glass and concrete, earning Singapore its moniker of “Garden City”.

Whether and how well Singapore can sustain the quality of life that its residents are used to with an ever-increasing population density in the next twenty years is, however, to be seen.