Singapore’s yearly population growth rate feared to creep down to 1%

Blame it on sluggish immigration flow and ageing residents.

Singapore’s battered GDP figures may find it harder to bounce back as the country’s population growth rate is threatening to drag them down. According to BMI Research, population growth rate is feared to start shrinking to just 1.0% per year as immigration inflow constantly becomes sluggish and its ageing residents dominate the population.

“At the same time, productivity growth is harder to come by now that Singapore is closer to the technology frontier. While the government is devoting significant resources towards boosting productivity via myriad avenues (including robotics, automation, and a significant expansion of research and development in both areas,” BMI said.

It added that, consequently, Singapore's structural growth rate will remain relatively subdued compared to pre-2014 levels.