Asia's richest country is now super-aged, with more than 1 in 5 citizens 65 or older

Singapore has become a super-aged society, with 21.4% of its citizens aged 65 and older, according to a government report released Friday.

The share rose from 20.7% a year earlier and 13.7% a decade ago, The Straits Times reported.

That puts the city-state, which has the highest GDP per capita in Asia according to International Monetary Fund data, past the 21% threshold the United Nations uses to define a super-aged society.

Including permanent residents, the share of residents aged 65 and older stood at 19.5%, up from 18.8% in 2025, Reuters reported.

The number of citizens aged 80 and older climbed to 152,000 from 145,000 a year earlier, 60% more than the 95,000 recorded in 2016.

The annual Population in Brief report, published by the National Population and Talent Division, said aging has accelerated as large cohorts of baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, continue to turn 65.

The median age of citizens rose to 44.1 from 43.7.

The resident total fertility rate fell to 0.87 in 2025 from 0.97 a year earlier.

By 2035, more than one in four citizens are projected to be 65 or older, the report said.

The share of working-age citizens, those aged 20 to 64, is expected to stay broadly stable between 2030 and 2035. The report attributed this to smaller cohorts aging past 64 while younger ones, including those from managed immigration, enter working age.