Population Growth In Singapore Case Study

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1. Introduction
Population growth is defined as the expansion in a country’s population recorded for a year and expressed as a percentage of the population at the start of that period (1). As of June 2014, there are more than five million residents living in Singapore. This includes Singapore citizens, permanent residents, non-residents comprising individuals holding work passes, dependants and international students (4).
Singapore ranks as one of the countries with the highest proportions of foreigners in its population and among its workforce in the world (8). Since, Singapore is considered to be a relatively safe and peaceful country, it attracts foreigners to work and live here. Due to the advancement of healthcare facilities, improved …show more content…

Population growth enlarges labour force and therefore, increases economic growth. A large population also provides a large domestic market for the economy. Moreover, population growth encourages competition, which induces technological advancements and innovations. Nevertheless, a large population growth is not only associated with food supply issues but also imposes constraints on the development of savings, foreign exchange and human resources. There is no general consensus whether population growth is beneficial or detrimental to economic growth in developing economies. Moreover, empirical evidence on the matter for developing economies is relatively limited (6).
A sustainable population is one that is balanced across the three pillars of a strong and cohesive society. This is core for a dynamic and vibrant economy in Singapore to provide good jobs and opportunities for Singaporeans, and a high quality living environment. With a small population, Singapore would not be able to produce enough talented people to sustain its economic development, making it unattractive to foreign investors and Multinational Corporations (MNCs). It is also difficult and expensive to recruit local Singaporeans as compared to larger and cheaper labour markets in other

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