Permanent Residence
Singapore PR statistics: what the official numbers say
In 2024, 35,264 people were granted Singapore permanent residency and 22,766 were granted citizenship, according to Population in Brief 2025 (sourced from ICA). The five-year average for 2020–2024 was about 33,000 PRs and 21,300 citizenships a year. The PR population was about 544,000 in June 2025. There is no official approval rate: ICA publishes grants, not applications, and describes intake as “carefully controlled”.
Key takeaways
- 35,264 PRs granted in 2024; five-year average 33,000 (2020–2024) versus 31,700 (2015–2019).
- 22,766 citizenships granted in 2024 (excluding citizenship by descent from this edition); 1,409 children granted citizenship by descent.
- PR population 0.54 million in June 2025, described as stable; citizens 3.66 million; non-residents 1.91 million.
- New PRs in 2024: 24.8% aged 20 and below, 32.6% aged 21–30, 31.4% aged 31–40, 11.3% over 40; 63.9% from Southeast Asia; 81.1% (aged 20+) with post-secondary qualifications.
- No approval rate exists. Any percentage you see online is an estimate, not ICA data.
PRs and citizenships granted
| Period | PRs granted | Citizenships granted |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 35,264 | 22,766 |
| Average 2020–2024 | about 33,000 per year | about 21,300 per year |
| Average 2015–2019 | about 31,700 per year | about 20,500 per year |
Population in Brief also states that “all new adult citizens come from our pool of PRs, as individuals have to obtain permanent residency before they may apply for citizenship”.
Population, June 2025
| Group | Size |
|---|---|
| Total population | 6.11 million |
| Citizens | 3.66 million |
| Permanent residents | 0.54 million (about 543,800), “remained stable” |
| Non-residents | 1.91 million |
Profile of PRs granted in 2024
| Dimension | Breakdown |
|---|---|
| Age | ≤ 20: 24.8% · 21–30: 32.6% · 31–40: 31.4% · over 40: 11.3% |
| Region of origin | Southeast Asia: 63.9% · other Asia: 29.6% · others: 6.5% |
| Highest qualification (aged 20+) | Post-secondary: 81.1% · secondary and below: 18.9% |
Why there is no “approval rate”
ICA publishes the number of PRs granted (through NPTD's Population in Brief and data.gov.sg), not the number of applications received. ICA's own Annual Statistics reports cover checkpoints, clearance and enforcement and contain no PR figures. Without a denominator, no approval rate can be computed — figures such as “10–15%” circulating online are industry estimates. The Government describes the intake as “carefully controlled” and dependent on “the number and quality of applications received and our changing needs”.
Where the data comes from
- Population in Brief, published each year by the National Population and Talent Division (typically late September) — the primary source for PR and citizenship grants.
- data.gov.sg dataset “Number and Profile of Singapore Citizenships and Permanent Residencies Granted, Annual” (SingStat/ICA) — machine-readable series, latest year 2024.
- MINDEF parliamentary replies — NS-related PR figures (for example, about 450 second-generation PRs a year renounced PR before NS in 2014–2023, versus about 1,900 who enlisted).
This page is refreshed when the next Population in Brief is published.
Your profile against the factors ICA lists
The readiness assessment uses these published profiles as context, never as a threshold.
Official sources referenced
- NPTD — Population in Brief 2025 (PDF)Gov.sg · accessed 2 September 2026Source of 2024 PR and citizenship grant figures and the profile of new PRs (Table 17).
- NPTD — Population in Brief 2025: key trendsGov.sg · accessed 2 September 2026
- MINDEF — Written reply on NS matters pertaining to PRs and new citizens (8 May 2024)Gov.sg · accessed 2 September 2026
Editorial information
- Written by
- SingaPR Editorial Team — Research & editorial
- Reviewed by
- SingaPR Immigration Research Desk — Fact review against ICA/MOM sources
- Published
- 2 September 2026
- Facts verified
- 2 September 2026 (re-checked at least every 120 days)
Revision history
- 2026-09-02 — First published after verification against official sources.
SingaPR is a private, independent information and self-assessment platform. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) or any Singapore Government agency. Nothing on this site is legal advice or a guarantee of any immigration outcome.