4701069
Mandarin (official) 36.3%, English (official) 29.8%, Malay (official) 11.9%, Hokkien 8.1%, Cantonese 4.1%, Tamil (official) 3.2%, Teochew 3.2%, other Indian languages 1.2%, other Chinese dialects 1.1%, other 1.1% (2010 est.)
SINGAPORE (capital) 5.619 million (2015)
- Conventional long form
- Republic of Singapore
- Conventional short form
- Singapore
- Local long form
- Republic of Singapore
- Local short form
- Singapore
parliamentary republic
- Name
- Singapore
- Geographic coordinates
- 1 17 N, 103 51 E
- Time difference
- UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Singapore has a highly developed and successful free-market economy. It enjoys a remarkably open and corruption-free environment, stable prices, and a per capita GDP higher than that of most developed countries. Unemployment is very low. The economy depends heavily on exports, particularly of consumer electronics, information technology products, medical and optical devices, pharmaceuticals, and on its vibrant transportation, business, and financial services sectors.
- Inflation
- -0.503%
- Total tax rate (% of commercial profits)
- 19.1%
- Real Interest Rate
- 6.883%
- Manufacturing, value added (% of GDP)
- 19.617%
- Current Account Balance
- US$ 56,501,107,784
- Labor Force, Total
- 3,182,443
- Employment in Agriculture
- 1.10%
- Employment in Industry
- 16.25%
- Employment in Services
- 82.67%
- Unemployment Rate
- 1.83%
- Imports of goods and services
- US$ 434,374,636,864
- Exports of goods and services
- US$ 511,222,293,083
- Total Merchandise Trade
- 206.32%
- FDI, net inflows
- US$ 61,596,847,011
- Commercial Service Exports
- US$ 149,360,459,722
orchids, vegetables; poultry, eggs; fish, ornamental fish
electronics, chemicals, financial services, oil drilling equipment, petroleum refining, rubber processing and rubber products, processed food and beverages, ship repair, offshore platform construction, life sciences, entrepot trade
- Commodities
- machinery and equipment (including electronics and telecommunications), pharmaceuticals and other chemicals, refined petroleum products, foodstuffs and beverages
- Partners
- China 13.7%, Hong Kong 11.5%, Malaysia 10.8%, Indonesia 8.2%, US 6.9%, Japan 4.4%, South Korea 4.1% (2015)
- Commodities
- machinery and equipment, mineral fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs, consumer goods
- Partners
- China 14.2%, US 11.2%, Malaysia 11.2%, Japan 6.3%, South Korea 6.1%, Indonesia 4.8% (2015)
- Country Risk Rating
- A3
- Changes in generally good but somewhat volatile political and economic environment can affect corporate payment behavior. A basically secure business environment can nonetheless give rise to occasional difficulties for companies. Corporate default probability is quite acceptable on average.
- Business Climate Rating
- A2
- The business environment is good. When available, corporate financial information is reliable. Debt collection is reasonably efficient. Institutions generally perform efficiently. Intercompany transactions usually run smoothly in the relatively stable environment rated A2.
- Very high competitiveness quality
- Development of high added value sectors (chemicals, pharmaceuticals, finance)
- Large FDI inflows thanks to the advantageous tax regime, political stability and an excellent business climate
- Leading exporter of capital in Asia through the Temasek and Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) sovereign funds
- Economy dependent on exports
- Shortages of skilled labor
- Aging population
- Vulnerability to slowdown in the Chinese economy
After slowing down in 2016, the Singaporean economy should level out in 2017. The economy, which is heavily reliant on international trade, is suffering from weak global demand. On top of this, the slowing and the restructuring of the Chinese economy will continue to impact on Singapore, with the city-state exposed to struggling sectors: oil and gas, semi-conductor and transport. Industrial output is thus likely to continue feeling the effects of reduced exports. The services sector however should continue to bolster activity despite reduced retail sales because of lower tourist numbers and the expansion of e-commerce.
The budget situation for Singapore will remain very sound. In 2017, with increasing revenues from the Temasek sovereign fund, the country will maintain its budget surplus even though the government is putting in place a large number of measures aimed at supporting investment in new technologies and infrastructures and improving social protection. In addition, whilst the public debt is at a high level, it will continue to be sustainable because it is mostly national. On top of this, debt is not being used to finance the public deficit but to develop a local government bond market. Finally, the level of public debt will remain below the value of the assets held by the two sovereign funds (Temasek and GIC).
In the September 2015 parliamentary elections, the People’s Action Party (PAP), the ruling party since independence in 1965, won almost 70% of the votes, compared with 60% in the May 2011 elections. It therefore further strengthened its domination of political life credited with the active policies of the government in the crisis and the maintenance of social stability. The next presidential elections will be held in mid-2017 and should see the victory of an ethnic Malay candidate. A Constitutional reform approved on 9 November 2016 lays down that a presidential election will be reserved for candidates of ethnic origins if these have not been represented by a President in the five preceding terms of office.