NDR 2026: Singapore will welcome foreign manpower, but ensure citizens remain the majority
Newcomers and Singaporeans must both make efforts towards integration, says PM Wong
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[SINGAPORE] Singapore will continue to welcome foreign manpower, but in a “careful and controlled way” while refreshing its citizen population at a “measured and sustainable pace”, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said in his National Day Rally speech on Sunday (Aug 23).
“We will always ensure that Singaporeans remain the majority in our own country,” he said.
This means that the overall population, including its labour force, will grow more slowly in the coming years, PM Wong said.
Businesses, especially those in the service sector, often ask the government to ease foreign worker policies, flagging jobs that Singaporeans find undesirable, he said.
But as work permit holders already make up the largest proportion of foreign pass holders, even a modest policy easing could lead to a significant increase in numbers.
“That is not a path we want to take,” the prime minister said, adding that technology and productivity must drive more of Singapore’s growth.
“At the same time, as we stay open, Singaporeans must feel that the Singapore we know and cherish will endure,” he continued.
He emphasised that Singapore will remain multiracial and multireligious, with the current ethnic balance broadly maintained. The country will also “keep working at integration” – newcomers must work to fit in while Singaporeans must reach out to them, he said.
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