What’s our attitude towards foreigners as population crosses 6m mark?
Straits Times, 1 Oct 2024, What’s our attitude towards foreigners as population crosses 6m mark?
The annual population figures are out and they show that Singapore’s population has crossed the six million mark, for the first time.
Driven mainly by an increase in the number of foreign workers and migrant domestic workers, the nation’s total population size inched up to 6.04 million as at June 2024.
It’s not a big surprise, as the growth has followed an upward trend in the past few decades. In June 2023, the Republic’s total population size was 5.92 million, and the year before that it was 5.64 million.
Crossing the six million mark may, however, cause some unease – for Singaporeans who fear overcrowding in terms of jobs or the use of physical space, infrastructure and amenities.
But, with falling birth rates and the growing needs of an ageing population, Singapore really has no choice but to top up its labour pool with foreigners. And when one-third of the people living here are foreigners, Singaporeans must decide whether they will look upon this group with suspicion and unease or as co-travellers on a journey.
This is an issue that must be faced squarely because the simple truth is that we cannot do without an injection of foreigners. This is even as the Government continues to encourage and incentivise young people to marry and have children.
A government White Paper in 2013 noted that a balance was needed between the number of Singaporeans and the number of foreigners in order to sustain the country’s rate of economic growth.
Dr Mathew Mathews, principal research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and head of its Social Lab, said: “Psychologically, the six million mark will make people here and abroad sit up to notice that Singapore is continuing to press on with its aspiration to grow a reasonably sized labour force which can support a robust economy.
“The fact that we are still growing our population, and that to a large extent through immigration, shows that Singapore has had some success managing the concerns of locals about increased immigration, given that around the world there are lots of fears surrounding immigration.”
From June 2023 to June 2024, the non-resident population grew by 5 per cent from 1.77 million to 1.86 million.
The citizen population rose by 0.7 per cent from 3.61 million to 3.64 million in the same period, while the permanent resident population grew by 1.2 per cent from 538,600 to 544,900.
This means that nearly one in three people here is a non-resident. They include the foreign workforce across all pass types, dependants and international students.
This proportion is not unlike those of other global cities that welcome immigrants who support their economies, like New York and London, where more than a third of their populations are foreign born.
Sociologist Tan Ern Ser, adjunct principal research fellow at the IPS Social Lab, said the implications are that Singapore would need to have the infrastructure and amenities to accommodate a larger population, without negatively impacting the sense of well-being of citizens.
The National Population and Talent Division noted in its report that work permit holders contributed most to the population growth, followed by migrant domestic workers – groups that both provide necessary services to meet Singaporeans’ social and economic needs.
Residents continue to fill higher-paying jobs, with resident employment growing in sectors such as financial and insurance services, information and communications, and professional services.
Implications of a shrinking population
Fewer citizen marriages, fewer citizen births and a declining resident total fertility rate (TFR) – these trends have been decades in the making.
Singapore now has one of the lowest TFRs in the world, falling to below 1, or 0.97, in 2023 for the first time in its history.
Based on current trends, the number of citizen deaths could exceed the number of citizen births in the first half of the 2030s, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah had said in a written reply to a parliamentary question on Sept 9.
In 2023, there were 24,726 citizen deaths, a 40 per cent jump from the 17,691 deaths in 2014.
In contrast, citizen births fell by 13 per cent over the same period, from 33,193 in 2014 to 28,877 in 2023.
Hence, being able to achieve modest population growth despite a falling birth rate is significant, said Professor Paulin Straughan, dean of students at Singapore Management University and director of the Centre for Research on Successful Ageing.
“This is particularly since our Asian neighbours (Japan and South Korea) have registered shrinking populations,” she said.
“As a small nation state with only human resource to depend on, we are mindful that we should celebrate the fact that despite a very modest growth of 0.7 per cent amongst citizens, we are still able to attract foreign talent to partner us in our economic endeavours.”
A carefully calibrated approach to immigration has kept Singapore’s population from shrinking, which would mean a decline in the resident labour force and economic competitiveness.
Even a modest rise in the total fertility rate alone – if pro-family policies were to be effective – will not be enough, said Dr Mathews, if Singapore is to continue to be successful as a vibrant node in the global economy.
“The economic vibrancy will require Singapore to attract global talent who can bring in expertise and networks. It will also need foreign workers – whether migrant domestic workers to provide needed care services for an ageing population, or workers in the construction sector for the development of infrastructure.”
And in the years ahead, immigration will become more vital, said Prof Straughan, with many more countries competing for foreign talent and surplus labour.
“And for countries which are now sending more than receiving, there will come a time when they will strive to become more attractive options for local job seekers so that they can retain their own citizens,” she added.
Strengthening social cohesion
The question is how the presence of foreigners impacts Singapore’s social fabric and identity.
For a country like Japan, which has long seen itself as ethnically homogeneous, locals have resisted immigrants and failed to integrate them.
To be sure, the profile of foreigners in Singapore is diverse, and many may not be here for the long term.
But they are here and part of the city: residing among us, working alongside us, and building the schools, infrastructure and places we call home.
“The foreign workers, foreign talents, foreign spouses, international students and foreign domestic workers live in Singapore. They may be here for one year, two years, five years, and some even close to a decade, if not more. They are part of Singapore’s evolving social fabric and culture as the city state develops,” said Dr Felicity Chan, a senior research fellow at the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).
“We encounter foreign-born residents daily in our commute to work, when we queue up to buy lunch, or when taking a walk in the park. Some of them are our neighbours and colleagues; others build the infrastructure in this city and make it a clean and comfortable home for all,” added Dr Chan, who is also deputy programme director of master of science in urban science, policy and planning at SUTD.
The needs and aspirations of such residents need to be better understood, and Singaporeans must guard against generalising foreigners as a single homogeneous group. Foreigners, too, need to make the effort to understand the culture and norms here, in order for social integration to happen.
The Covid-19 pandemic was perhaps a turning point in the way Singaporeans viewed foreigners. As the living conditions of migrant workers came under scrutiny, improved dormitory design standards were announced.
More importantly, Singaporeans also became more aware of the social isolation that these individuals faced. Also, as construction work ground to a halt, some became more appreciative of the contributions that foreign workers make to Singapore.
But more can be done to make Singapore a second home for these workers, even if it is only for a short period.
Genuine integration – which translates into funding for better living standards, for example – comes at a cost, and the question is whether Singaporeans are willing to accept this, said Mr Cai Yinzhou, director of Citizen Adventures, which conducts tours for people who want to understand social ecosystems.
Other aspects of liveability, such as meeting their social needs and ensuring a fair and equitable work environment, are still a work in progress, he added.
As Singapore navigates demographic challenges, including looking towards a “super-aged” status by 2026, the one-third of the population who are foreign born should not be overlooked, in the pursuit of continual growth.
In the end, how society treats others who are different, or newcomers, is telling of its values of inclusivity, kindness and empathy.