History of Singapore in Timeline

Singapore is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia, located just north of the equator. It consists of a main island and over 60 smaller islands. Singapore is bordered by the Strait of Malacca to the west, the Singapore Strait and Indonesia to the south, the South China Sea to the east, and the Straits of Johor and Malaysia to the north.

1907: Labuan administered from Singapore

From 1907, Labuan was administered from Singapore under British rule.

1914: Singapore unaffected by World War I

Singapore was not greatly affected by the First World War, which began in 1914, as the conflict did not spread to Southeast Asia.

1915: Singapore Mutiny

In 1915, the Singapore Mutiny occurred, involving Muslim sepoys from British India rebelling due to rumors of being sent to fight the Ottoman Empire. The mutiny was eventually suppressed by non-Muslim troops.

1918: Singapore unaffected by World War I

Singapore was not greatly affected by the First World War, which ended in 1918, as the conflict did not spread to Southeast Asia.

1921: Singapore Naval Base announced

In 1921, the British announced plans to construct the Singapore Naval Base as part of the defensive Singapore strategy.

1931: Construction of the Singapore Naval Base quickened

In 1931, following the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, the construction of the Singapore Naval Base proceeded at a quicker pace.

1938: Singapore Naval Base largely completed

By 1938, the Singapore Naval Base was largely completed, featuring the largest dry dock in the world.

1938: Introduction of Section 377A of the Penal Code

In 1938, sexual relations between men were technically made illegal under Section 377A of the Penal Code, first introduced during British colonial rule.

1939: World War II broke out

After World War II broke out in 1939, the British Home Fleet was occupied with defending Britain, leaving Singapore vulnerable to Japanese invasion.

February 1942: British surrendered Singapore

In February 1942, the British force of 60,000 troops surrendered Singapore to the Japanese.

1942: Singapore occupied by Japan

In 1942, during World War II, Singapore was occupied by Japan.

August 1945: Japanese surrender and disorder

In August 1945, after the Japanese surrender, Singapore experienced violence and disorder.

September 1945: Japanese surrender received

In September 1945, British, Australian, and Indian troops returned to Singapore to receive the formal surrender of Japanese forces.

1945: Planned liberation of Singapore

British forces had planned to liberate Singapore in 1945; however, the war ended before these operations could be carried out.

1945: Singapore returned to Britain

In 1945, following Japan's surrender in World War II, Singapore was returned to Britain as a Crown colony.

February 1946: Tomoyuki Yamashita hanged

On 23 February 1946, Tomoyuki Yamashita was hanged in the Philippines for war crimes.

April 1946: Singapore became a crown colony

On 1 April 1946, the British Military Administration ended, and Singapore became a separate crown colony.

1946: Planned liberation of Singapore

British forces had planned to liberate Singapore in 1946; however, the war ended before these operations could be carried out.

July 1947: Executive and Legislative Council reconstituted

In July 1947, an Executive and Legislative Council were reconstituted and elections were scheduled.

1948: Labuan merged into North Borneo

In 1948, Labuan was merged into the Crown Colony of North Borneo, ending its administration from Singapore.

1948: Lloyd Valberg at the Summer Olympics

In 1948, Lloyd Valberg became the first Singaporean to participate in the Olympic Games, competing in the Summer Olympics held in London.

1948: Restricted general election

In 1948, a highly restricted general election took place, contested only by the Progressive Party.

1950: End of Chinese Civil War

The Ma-Xi meeting in 2015 was the first meeting between the political leaders of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1950.

1951: Restricted general election continued

The highly restricted general election, contested only by the Progressive Party, continued in 1951.

1954: National Service riots

The 1954 National Service riots in Singapore were linked to the guerrilla war waged by Chinese communists against the government.

1955: Hock Lee bus riots

The 1955 Hock Lee bus riots in Singapore were linked to the guerrilla war waged by Chinese communists against the government.

1956: Chinese middle schools riots

The 1956 Chinese middle schools riots in Singapore were linked to the guerrilla war waged by Chinese communists against the government.

1958: Christmas Island and Cocos Islands transferred to Australia

In 1958, Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands were transferred to Australia from Singapore.

June 1959: Britain granted Singapore full internal self-government

On 3 June 1959, Britain agreed to grant Singapore full internal self-government for all matters except defence and foreign affairs. In the general election of 30 May which had universal suffrage, the PAP won a landslide victory under Lee Kuan Yew.

1959: Singapore gained self-governance

In 1959, Singapore gained self-governance.

1959: PAP remains in power since 1959

Since 1959, the PAP has maintained its position in power in Singapore.

1959: People's Action Party dominance

Since 1959, the People's Action Party (PAP) has maintained continuous political dominance in Singapore, resulting in limited political pluralism.

1959: PAP won large parliamentary majorities in every election

Since Singapore gained self-governance in 1959, the PAP has consistently secured substantial parliamentary majorities in every election.

1960: Tan Howe Liang wins Singapore's first Olympic medal

Weightlifter Tan Howe Liang won Singapore's first Olympic medal, a silver, at the 1960 Rome Games.

May 1961: Proposal for a new Federation called Malaysia

On 27 May 1961, Malaya's prime minister proposed a new Federation called Malaysia, uniting British possessions in the region.

September 1963: Singapore joined Malaysia

On 16 September 1963, Singapore joined with Malaya, the North Borneo, and Sarawak to form the new Federation of Malaysia under the terms of the Malaysia Agreement.

1963: Singapore became part of Malaysia

In 1963, Singapore became part of the new federation of Malaysia, alongside Malaya, North Borneo and Sarawak.

1963: Singapore becomes independent

In 1963, Singapore gained independence from the United Kingdom, inheriting a population largely composed of transient migrant laborers alongside a smaller group of middle-class Peranakans.

1964: Race riots in Singapore

In 1964, communal strife in Singapore culminated in race riots.

March 1965: Bombing of MacDonald House

On 10 March 1965, a bomb planted by Indonesian saboteurs exploded at MacDonald House, killing three people and injuring 33 others during the Konfrontasi.

August 1965: Singapore became independent

In August 1965, Singapore became independent as the "Republic of Singapore", with Lee Kuan Yew as the first prime minister and Yusof bin Ishak as the first president.

August 1965: Singapore separated from Malaysia

On 9 August 1965, the Malaysian Parliament voted to separate Singapore from Malaysia, leading to Singapore's independence. On 7 August 1965, a separation agreement was signed, paving the way for this independence.

1965: Growth rates averaged around 6 per cent per annum

Between 1965 and 1995, growth rates averaged around 6 per cent per annum, transforming the living standards of the population.

1965: Singapore became an independent sovereign country

In 1965, Singapore was expelled from Malaysia and became an independent sovereign country.

1967: Singapore co-founded ASEAN

In 1967, Singapore co-founded the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

1967: Government introduced the vision of making Singapore a "garden city"

In 1967, to combat the decline in natural space, the government in Singapore introduced the vision of making Singapore a "garden city", aiming to improve quality of life.

1967: Singapore dollar interchangeable with Brunei dollar

Since 1967, the Singapore dollar (SGD or S$) has been interchangeable with the Brunei dollar at par value.

1968: Previous high PAP tally

Prior to the 2025 election, the 1968 election was the highest tally of PAP with 86.7% of the vote in Singapore.

1969: Race riots

In 1969, race riots erupted again in Singapore as a spillover from the 13 May incident in Malaysia.

1970: Trial by jury was abolished

Trial by jury was abolished in Singapore in 1970.

October 1971: Britain pulls military out of Singapore

In October 1971, Britain pulled its military out of Singapore, leaving behind a small British, Australian and New Zealand force as a token military presence. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) commanders were tasked by the Singapore Government to create the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) from scratch.

1972: Singapore Airlines formed

Singapore Airlines was formed in 1972.

1975: Implementation of Singapore Area Licensing Scheme

In 1975, the Singapore Area Licensing Scheme was implemented, becoming the world's first congestion pricing scheme.

1979: Singapore Symphony Orchestra established

In 1979, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) was founded, marking a significant milestone in Western classical music in Singapore.

1981: Changi Airport opened

Changi Airport was opened in 1981, replacing the international airport at Paya Lebar.

1984: Creation of Non-constituency Members of Parliament (NCMPs)

In 1984, Singapore introduced the Non-constituency Members of Parliament (NCMPs) scheme, allowing top-performing losing opposition candidates to be appointed as MPs.

1988: Introduction of Group representation constituencies (GRCs)

In 1988, Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) were introduced in Singapore as multi-member electoral divisions to ensure minority representation in parliament.

1989: Women allowed to fill military vocations formerly reserved for men

Since 1989, women in the SAF have been allowed to fill military vocations formerly reserved for men.

1990: Goh Chok Tong succeeds Lee

In 1990, Goh Chok Tong took over from Lee Kuan Yew to become the second prime minister of Singapore.

1990: Introduction of Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs)

In 1990, Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs) were introduced in Singapore to allow non-elected representatives from various professional fields to serve in parliament.

1991: PAP led into election

In 1991, Goh Chok Tong led the PAP into the general election.

1991: Amendment to provide for an elected president

In 1991, the constitution in Singapore was amended to provide for an elected president with veto powers over past reserves and key public service appointments.

1993: First presidential election held

The first presidential election in Singapore was held in 1993 following the constitutional amendment.

1995: Growth rates averaged around 6 per cent per annum

Between 1965 and 1995, growth rates averaged around 6 per cent per annum, transforming the living standards of the population.

1996: Launch of Singapore Premier League

Singapore's football league, the Singapore Premier League, was launched in 1996 as the S.League and comprises eight clubs, including one foreign team.

1997: Asian financial crisis

Singapore went through the Asian financial crisis in 1997.

August 1998: Singapore called the 'Little Red Dot'

In August 1998, Indonesian President B. J. Habibie referred to Singapore as a red dot on a map in the Asian Wall Street Journal, leading to Singapore being nicknamed the "Little Red Dot".

1998: Upgrade to Electronic Road Pricing (ERP)

In 1998, the Singapore Area Licensing Scheme was upgraded and renamed Electronic Road Pricing (ERP), which introduced electronic toll collection, electronic detection, and video surveillance technology.

1999: GDP growth averaging at about 8%

Until 1999, Singapore's real GDP growth averaged at about 8%.

2000: Publication of Rhythms: A Singaporean Millennial Anthology Of Poetry

In 2000, the multilingual anthology "Rhythms: A Singaporean Millennial Anthology Of Poetry" was published, showcasing translated poems.

2001: Previous high PAP tally

Prior to the 2025 election, the 2001 election saw PAP receiving 75.3% of the popular vote in Singapore.

2001: Government Programs to Increase Fertility

Starting in 2001, the government introduced a series of programs to increase fertility, including paid maternity leave, childcare subsidies, tax relief and rebates, one-time cash gifts, and grants for companies that implement flexible work arrangements

2002: SARS outbreak

From 2002 to 2004, Singapore experienced the SARS outbreak.

2004: Singapore provides aid to Aceh following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami

Following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, Singapore provided aid to Aceh in Indonesia.

2004: Amnesty International claims conflict with right to be presumed innocent in death penalty cases

In 2004, Amnesty International claimed that some legal provisions of the Singapore system for the death penalty conflict with "the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty".

2004: Lee Hsien Loong becomes Prime Minister

In 2004, Lee Hsien Loong became the third prime minister of Singapore.

2006: Changi Airport Rated World's Best by Skytrax

In 2006, Changi Airport was rated as the world's best airport for the first time by Skytrax.

2006: International Student Statistics

Singapore is an education hub, with more than 80,000 international students in 2006.

2008: Government funding of healthcare

In 2008, 32% of healthcare in Singapore was funded by the government, with healthcare accounting for approximately 3.5% of the nation's GDP.

2008: Financial crisis

Singapore experienced the financial crisis in 2008 during Lee Hsien Loong's tenure.

2008: Singapore Grand Prix Inaugural F1 Night Race

Singapore hosted its first Formula One World Championship race, the Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, in 2008. It was the inaugural F1 night race and the first F1 street race in Asia.

2008: Women's table tennis team wins silver at Beijing Olympics

Singapore's women's table tennis team won the silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

October 2009: Founding of ASEAN Basketball League

In October 2009, the ASEAN Basketball League was founded, with the Singapore Slingers as one of its inaugural teams.

2009: International Students in Singaporean Universities

In 2009, 20% of all students in Singaporean universities were international students.

2009: Singapore removed from OECD "liste grise" of tax havens

In 2009, Singapore was removed from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) "liste grise" of tax havens.

2009: First Pink Dot SG event

Since 2009, Pink Dot SG, an event held in support of the LGBT community, has drawn thousands of people annually with increasing attendance.

2009: Republic of Singapore Navy deploys ships to the Gulf of Aden

Since 2009, the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) has deployed ships to the Gulf of Aden to aid in countering piracy efforts as part of Task Force 151.

2010: Singapore Religion

Between 2010 and 2020, the proportion of Christians, Muslims, and the nonreligious slightly increased, while the proportion of Buddhists and Taoists slightly decreased.

2010: Exports Constitute 27% of GDP

In 2010, Singapore's main exports (refined petroleum, integrated circuits, and computers) constituted 27% of the country's GDP.

2010: Women's table tennis team becomes world champions

In 2010, Singapore's women's table tennis team became world champions by defeating China at the World Team Table Tennis Championships in Russia.

2010: Singapore Resident Ethnic Groups

In 2010, the proportion of ethnic groups in Singapore was virtually identical to the 2020 census.

2010: Singapore's Total Fertility Rate Plateaued

Since 2010, Singapore's TFR has largely plateaued at 1.1 children per woman, which is among the lowest in the world.

2010: Singapore participates in G20 processes

Singapore has been invited to participate in G20 processes in most years since 2010, although it is not a formal member.

2010: Singapore hosts Summer Youth Olympics

Singapore hosted the inaugural 2010 Summer Youth Olympics, featuring 3,600 athletes from 204 nations competing in 26 sports.

December 2011: HIV diagnosis among foreigners

As of December 2011, 8,800 foreigners had been diagnosed with HIV in Singapore.

2011: Singapore Banks Ranked Strongest Globally

In 2011, after the 2008 financial crisis, OCBC, DBS and UOB were ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek as the world's first, fifth, and sixth strongest banks in the world, respectively.

2011: PAP electoral performance

In 2011, the PAP had its worst electoral performance, securing 60% of the vote in Singapore.

January 2013: HIV diagnosis among Singaporeans

As of January 2013, 5,400 Singaporeans had been diagnosed with HIV in Singapore.

December 2013: Foreign Domestic Workers in Singapore

As of December 2013, there were about 224,500 foreign domestic workers in Singapore.

2013: Changi Airport Rated World's Best Airport

From 2013 to 2020, Changi Airport was rated as the world's best airport.

2013: Increase in people not opposing same sex

In 2013, 10% of people said that sexual relations between adults of the same sex were not wrong at all or not wrong most of the time.

2013: China becomes Singapore's largest trading partner

In 2013, China surpassed Malaysia to become Singapore's largest trading partner.

2014: Smartphone penetration rates

In 2014, Singapore had the world's highest smartphone penetration rates, with surveys indicating 89% and 85% of the population using smartphones.

March 2015: Death of Lee Kuan Yew

On March 23, 2015, Lee Kuan Yew passed away, leading to a week of public mourning throughout Singapore.

2015: Residential internet service plans speed

As of spring 2015, Singapore internet service providers offered residential service plans of speeds up to 2 Gbit/s.

2015: Singapore Airlines Ranked Among World's Most-Admired Companies

In 2015, Singapore Airlines was ranked as Asia's most-admired company, and the world's 19th most-admired company by Fortune.

2015: Singapore hosts Ma-Xi meeting

In 2015, Singapore hosted the Ma–Xi meeting, which was the first meeting between the political leaders of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1950.

2015: Singapore ranked fourth on the Tax Justice Network's Financial Secrecy Index

In 2015, Singapore ranked fourth on the Tax Justice Network's Financial Secrecy Index of the world's off-shore financial service providers, banking one-eighth of the world's offshore capital, while "providing numerous tax avoidance and evasion opportunities".

2015: Singapore Students Top OECD Rankings

In 2015, both its primary and secondary students rank first in OECD's global school performance rankings across 76 countries.

August 2016: Indonesia to create tax havens near Singapore

In August 2016, The Straits Times reported that Indonesia had decided to create tax havens on two islands near Singapore to bring Indonesian capital back into the tax base.

October 2016: Monetary Authority of Singapore admonishes and fines UBS and DBS

In October 2016, the Monetary Authority of Singapore admonished and fined UBS and DBS and withdrew the banking licence from Falcon Private Bank for their alleged role in the Malaysian Sovereign Fund scandal.

2016: Joseph Schooling wins Olympic gold

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Joseph Schooling won Singapore's first Olympic gold medal in the 100-metre butterfly with a new Olympic record time of 50.39 seconds.

2016: Singapore Students Top PISA and TIMSS

In 2016, Singapore students topped both the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).

2016: Singapore rated most expensive city

In 2016, Singapore was rated the world's most expensive city for the third consecutive year by the Economist Intelligence Unit.

2016: Art and culture events at Esplanade

In 2016, the Esplanade in Singapore hosted 5,900 free art and culture events, demonstrating its significance as a performing arts center.

2016: Internet users in Singapore

In 2016, there were an estimated 4.7 million internet users in Singapore, representing 82.5% of the population.

2016: Tourism Sector Employment

In 2016, tourism generated approximately 8.6% of Singapore's employment.

August 2017: Unified Brand Unveiled for Tourism and Business

In August 2017, the STB and the EDB unveiled a unified brand, Singapore – Passion Made Possible, to market Singapore internationally for tourism and business purposes.

2017: Presidential elections reserved for a racial community

From 2017, the Constitution of Singapore requires that presidential elections be "reserved" for a racial community if no one from that ethnic group has been elected to the presidency in the five most recent terms.

2017: Singapore wins SEA Games gold medal for water polo

In 2017, Singapore's men's water polo team secured their 27th SEA Games gold medal, marking the country's longest winning streak in sports.

June 2018: Singapore hosts historic summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un

In June 2018, Singapore hosted a historic summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, marking the first-ever meeting between the sitting leaders of the two nations.

2018: Singapore participates in ASEAN joint maritime exercise with China

In 2018, Singapore participated in ASEAN's first joint maritime exercise with China, increasing co-operation with ASEAN members to strengthen regional security and fight terrorism.

2018: Singapore rated most expensive city

In 2018, Singapore was rated the world's most expensive city for the third consecutive year by the Economist Intelligence Unit.

2018: Hawker centres across Singapore

In 2018, there were 114 hawker centres spread across Singapore's city centre and heartland housing estates, maintained by the National Environment Agency.

2019: Society becoming more liberal on LGBT rights

According to a survey conducted by the Institute of Policy Studies in 2019, Singaporean society has become more liberal on LGBT rights.

2019: Singaporeans Have Longest Life Expectancy

In 2019, Singaporeans had the longest life expectancy of any country at 84.8 years.

2019: Port of Singapore Ranked Second-Busiest Globally

In 2019, The Port of Singapore was the world's second-busiest port in terms of shipping tonnage handled, at 2.85 billion gross tons (GT), and in terms of containerised traffic, at 37.2 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).

2019: Amendments made to the Women's Charter

In 2019, amendments were made to the Women's Charter by the government to legislate more serious punishments for traffickers, including imprisonment of up to seven years and a fine of S$100,000.

2019: Semiconductor Industry Market Share

In 2019, there were more than 60 semiconductor companies in Singapore, constituting 11% of the global market share and contributing around 7% of Singapore's GDP.

2020: Satellite-based ERP system delayed

A satellite-based system was due to replace the physical gantries by 2020, but has been delayed until 2026 due to global shortages in the supply of semiconductors.

2020: Languages Spoken at Home

According to the 2020 census, English was the language most spoken at home, used by 48.3% of the population; Mandarin was next, spoken at home by 29.9%.

2020: Changi Airport Loses Top Ranking

In 2020, Changi Airport was superseded by Hamad International Airport in Doha as the world's best airport.

2020: Government set aside an initial $5 billion towards a Coastline and Flood Protection Fund

In its 2020 budget, the government of Singapore set aside an initial $5 billion towards a Coastline and Flood Protection Fund.

2020: Singapore Religion

In the 2020 census, Buddhism was the most widely practised religion at 31%, followed by Christianity at 18.9%, Islam at 15.6%, Taoism and folk beliefs at 8.8%, Hinduism at 5.0% and Sikhism at 0.3%.

2020: Singapore Resident Ethnic Groups

The 2020 census reported that about 74.3% of residents were of Chinese descent, 13.5% of Malay descent, 9.0% of Indian descent, and 3.2% of other descent (such as Eurasian).

2020: PAP drop to 61% of vote

The 2020 election held in July during COVID saw the PAP drop to 61% of the vote in Singapore.

2021: Loh Kean Yew wins gold at BWF World Championships

In 2021, Singapore's Loh Kean Yew won a badminton gold at the 2021 BWF World Championships men's singles, achieving 'World Champion' status.

2021: Singapore ranked 17th overall by the World Justice Project's Rule of Law Index

In 2021, the World Justice Project's Rule of Law Index ranked Singapore as 17th overall among the world's 193 countries for adherence to the rule of law.

2022: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announces the repeal of 377A

In 2022, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that Singapore would repeal 377A, effectively decriminalising homosexual behaviour.

2022: Highest Median Age and Record Low Live Births

In 2022, the median age of Singaporean residents was 42.8, and live births hit a record low.

January 2023: Section 377A of the Penal Code officially repealed

On 3 January 2023, Section 377A of the Penal Code was officially repealed, effectively decriminalising homosexual behaviour.

2023: Busiest International Air Routes

In 2023, Changi Airport had three of the ten busiest international air routes in the world: Kuala Lumpur–Singapore, Jakarta–Singapore, and Bangkok–Singapore.

2023: Singapore Airlines Named World's Best Airline

In 2023, Singapore Airlines was named the World's Best Airline by Skytrax.

2023: Tourism Attracts Millions of Visitors

In 2023, Singapore attracted 13.6 million international tourists, more than double Singapore's total population.

2023: Singapore's ranking on the Press Freedom Index

In 2023, Singapore was ranked 129th on the Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders, improving from 139th the previous year.

2023: Singapore ranked 4th most competitive economy

In 2023, Singapore was the world's 4th most competitive economy, according to the International Institute for Management Development's World Competitiveness Ranking of 64 countries, with the highest GDP (PPP) per capita.

May 2024: Lawrence Wong becomes Prime Minister

On May 15, 2024, Lawrence Wong became Singapore's fourth prime minister.

2024: Singapore ranked 5th most peaceful country

According to the 2024 Global Peace Index, Singapore is the 5th most peaceful country in the world.

2024: Max Maeder wins Olympic bronze in sailing

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Max Maeder won Singapore's first Olympic medal in sailing, achieving bronze at the Men's Formula Kite on National Day. At 17, he was also Singapore's youngest Olympic medalist.

2024: Changi Airport Superseded as World's Best Airport

In 2024, Changi Airport was superseded once more as the world's best airport.

2024: Singapore spends 2.7% of its GDP on the military

In 2024, Singapore spent 2.7% of its GDP on the military, the highest in the region.

2024: Increase in Foreigner Rejections

In 2025, Singapore turned away more than 45,000 foreigners – 38% higher than in 2024.

November 2025: Autonomous Vehicle Testing Approved

In November 2025, The Land Transport Authority (LTA) approved WeRide and Grab to test 11 autonomous vehicles on two Punggol shuttle routes after initial tests in October.

2025: Singapore's Population

As of mid-2025, Singapore's total population stood at 6,110,200, of whom 3,660,200 (59.9%) were citizens.

2025: Record Number of Border Crossings and Increased Foreigner Rejections

In 2025, Singapore saw a record number of nearly 245 million people crossing its borders. Also in 2025, Singapore turned away more than 45,000 foreigners.

2025: US$250,000 equivalent to US$2,554,118

In March 1965, The explosion at MacDonald House caused US$250,000 (equivalent to US$2,554,118 in 2025) in damages.

2025: Singapore ranked 13th in the world in the Human Development Index

In the 2025 report, Singapore was ranked 13th in the world in the Human Development Index (HDI) with a value of 0.946, making it one of four regions in Asia to be ranked within the top 20.

2025: Singapore Ranked 5th in Global Innovation Index

Singapore was ranked 5th in the Global Innovation Index in 2025.

2025: PAP wins 65.5% of the vote

The 2025 election saw the PAP winning 65.5% of the vote and 87 out of 97 seats in Parliament in Singapore.

February 2026: Introduction of a new bill to upgrade coastal defences

In February 2026, Singapore introduced a new bill legally requiring landowners along Singapore's coastline to implement or upgrade coastal defenses in order to protect against rising sea levels.

2026: Satellite-based ERP system delayed until 2026

A satellite-based system was due to replace the physical gantries by 2020, but has been delayed until 2026 due to global shortages in the supply of semiconductors.