By Imelda Saad |Posted: 29 January 2013 1213 hrs
SINGAPORE: Singapore's population could hit 6.9
million by 2030 - up from the current 5.3 million - if strategies
outlined in the White Paper on Population to mitigate the country's
ageing and shrinking population are met.
The population projection also takes into account a lower GDP
growth rate beyond 2020.
Singapore is facing serious challenges of ageing and dwindling
population, in particular from 2025 when its citizen population
starts to shrink.
The White Paper on Population, released on Tuesday, is the first
comprehensive report to outline the country's strategy to ensure a
sustainable population.
The proposal is to take in 30,000 new permanent residents (PR)
every year which will keep the PR population stable at about half a
million. Then, from this pool, take in 15,000 to 25,000 new
citizens each year, to stop the citizen population from
shrinking.
At this rate, by 2030, Singapore's total population numbers should
hit between 6.5 and 6.9 million.
The figures are based on certain assumptions - that the stretched
productivity target of between 2 and 3 per cent for this decade is
further moderated to between 1 and 2 per cent, between 2020 and
2030. And, a workforce growth rate that dips from the 3.3 per cent
growth over the last three decades, to just 1 per cent between 2020
and 2030.
With those numbers, the country's GDP growth beyond 2020 will
likely fall to between 2 and 3 per cent a year - from the current 3
to 5 per cent projection for this decade.
To ensure a high quality of life for Singaporeans, the government
will build ahead. Long term planning beyond 2020 include setting
aside land to build 700,000 more homes and doubling the rail
network.
- CNA/ck
1 only.
dunch be greedy. 