Singapore, more and more people!
According to the Population Data Brief released by the government in 2023, as of June last year, Singapore's total population reached about 5.92 million, 5% more than the same period last year, rising for the second consecutive year!
图源：The Jakarta Post
And in December last year, during Singapore's Prime Minister-designate Lawrence Wong's visit to China, he announced on behalf of Singapore that he was discussing a plan for mutual visa exemption with China, which is expected to land in early 2024!
In the future, more people are expected to come to Singapore!
In the minds of many people, Singapore is a developed and wealthy country. Although this "little red dot" is small in size, it contains all the necessary elements of human life.
图源：Lonely Planet
Some time ago, an article about the introduction of Singapore caused heated discussions on the Internet.
From the perspective of a Chinese who has lived in Singapore for a while, the author's Singapore turns out to be like this!
However, the experience of living in Singapore for more than ten years with coconut has a different view......
Singapore's Basics
Exposure exposure
1) Singapore's diverse culture stems from its geographical location and history. As a multi-ethnic country, it is mainly composed of Chinese, Eurasian, Indian, Malay and Peranakan.
图源：Todayonline
2) The author says that people of different races in Singapore are "arranged" to live in different areas:
"The European zone is mainly inhabited by European traders, people of Euro-Asian descent and wealthy Asians. The Chinese are mostly concentrated in Chinatown and the southeast of the Singapore River. Indians mostly live in the Trulyk Kampung in the north of Chinatown, while Kampong Glam is home to Muslims, Malays and Arabs. ”
Sultan Mosque in Singapore, photo: Singapore Tourism Board
In fact, the so-called "ethnic division" is actually more like a phenomenon before and after the founding of Singapore.
Although places such as Chinatown, Little India, and Kampong Glam are still full of different ethnic characteristics, there is no clear geographical division in the HDB areas where most Singaporeans live.
In order to eliminate the physical distance between different ethnic groups, the Singapore government will consider the racial structure of each HDB housing area to ensure that it is in line with the national population structure and avoid the emergence of single-racial settlements.
If the government feels that the number of families of a certain race is insufficient in an HDB area, some vacant HDB flats will only be open to these specific ethnic groups~
Source: The Straits Times
3) Singaporeans' body size seems to have some connection with their ethnicity. The Chinese tend to be more elongated, while the Malays and Indians seem to be plump.
But not exactly, source: Rice Media
4) Singapore is a multilingual country. Four officially recognized languages: English, Mandarin, Malay, Tamil!
Mandarin is also one of the official languages, don't say Mandarin is useless in Singapore!(but most of the working languages are still English)
Signs written in four languages can be seen everywhere
5) Singapore's currency, in fact, many people have never seen it all in their lives.
Singapore's official banknotes range from 2, 5, 10, 50, 100, 1,000 and even up to S$10,000, while coins come in 5, 10, 20, 50 and 1 cents. (There used to be an amount of 1 cent)
And for the most part, we're in the same hands for 1,000 and S$10,000 notes!
Source: Carousell
6) Singapore is located near the equator and has a tropical rainy climate. The temperature does not fluctuate much throughout the year, with an average temperature of around 30 degrees Celsius.
From November to January to March, the rainy season is due to the influence of the northeast monsoon, and the weather is changeable and often rains, and the temperature may drop to about 24 degrees Celsius.
However, although Singapore is hot all year round, the annual maximum temperature is basically maintained between 34-36 degrees, which is not as likely to reach nearly 40 degrees as in China!
Thundershowers are frequent in Singapore, source: The Straits Times
7) Singapore is not a tipping country, but some restaurants will automatically add a 10% service charge to their bills. (9% GST surcharged)
In addition, as a world-renowned "garden city", smoking is also prohibited in all air-conditioned areas in Singapore, and even some public areas have been designated as separate smoking areas, and smoking outside the smoking area is also fined.
Yellow checkered on Orchard Road – smoking area, photo: mothership
9) Singapore's tap water meets the World Health Organization's drinking water standards, so it can be drunk directly.
10) Singapore has a clear rule on the sale of alcoholic beverages, and all retailers are not allowed to sell alcoholic beverages between 10.30pm and 7am the next night.
However, from 29 March 2022, the authorities lifted the restrictions on the sale of alcohol and alcohol, allowing restaurants and bars to continue selling alcoholic beverages after 10:30 p.m.
图源：Todayonline
11) When visiting special temples in Singapore, remember to follow their dress code.
12) Singapore's urban design takes climate into account. For example, in many places in Singapore, you can see roofs that provide both shade from the sun and rain.
These canopies cover the distance between the home and the nearby bus station, the home and the nearby school, and the commercial building and the commercial building. (But not everywhere)
Source: The Straits Times
13) There are almost no mosquitoes in Singapore! It's almost unimaginable for an equatorial country!
Of course, the Aedes mosquito epidemic still occurs from time to time every year, bringing a high incidence of dengue fever/dengue fever...... In order to reduce mosquito breeding, NEA officials regularly inspect the corridors of HDB estates to ensure that the flowers and plants outside the homes do not leave too much water for mosquitoes to breed.
图源：Todayonline
Income and consumption levels in Singapore
Exposure exposure
According to the latest report last year, the median monthly household income in Singapore reached S$10,999 (about 53,606 yuan).
Singapore's median nominal income came to S$5,179 (about 27,490 RMB, according to the Ministry of Manpower's 2023 Workforce Report). However, because of stubbornly high inflation, the median real income was 2.3% lower than the previous year......
图源:DollarsandSense
Are Singaporeans really rich?
Clothing
Singapore is hot all year round, and Singaporeans generally go out on their rest days to wear simple light summer clothes, and T-shirt + shorts + slippers are the "standard".
Therefore, most Singaporeans do not have high requirements in terms of clothing, and in order to go to work, a regular brand of clothing may cost about S$50, trousers/skirts S$70, and leather shoes S$150.
Typical Singaporeans, the picture comes from the Internet
diet
Singapore's food culture is quite diverse, with prices ranging from cheap to expensive.
However, most of the time, Singaporeans go to hawker centres/food courts to meet their dining needs. Almost S$5-10 is enough for a meal.
Of course, it will be cheaper if you choose to cook at home.
Source: Yahoo
housing
Housing varies greatly in Singapore for people of different statuses.
Singaporeans/PRs can buy HDB flats and second-hand flats, and new homes can be bought for around S$300,000 to S$700,000. There is also a substantial subsidy (for citizens only).
Source: HDB
But for foreigners, because you can't buy an HDB flat and can only buy an apartment, the price is quite expensive.
Rents in Singapore are relatively high, ranging from S$600 to S$700 per month for a regular room and S$1,000 to S$1,200 for a master room. Renting a 120-square-metre house costs about S$2,400 per month! This is still an HDB flat, and there are not a few apartments near the CBD that can rent S$5,000 or S$6,000.
Source: EdgeProp
Travel
The cost of buying a car in Singapore is too high, a car ownership license costs about S$100,000, and the car can only be driven for 20 years at most before it is forced to be scrapped. (10 years original term + renewable up to 10 years).
This has also resulted in only 11% of people in Singapore owning their own car.
The latest price of the car ownership certificate, source: motorist.sg
However, Singapore's public transport network is fairly well-developed, with the MRT and buses basically taking you anywhere you want, with one-way fares ranging from S$1-3, depending on the distance.
Social Welfare in Singapore
Exposure exposure
Singapore is not a welfare society in the traditional sense, and the government's understanding is that it is better to teach people to fish than to teach them to fish, and never to raise lazy people.
Therefore, compared with many countries in Europe and the United States, Singapore's welfare policy seems to be slightly inadequate, and it is often criticized by the outside world.
图源:Fair Observer
There seems to be some misunderstanding of this by the author.
"In addition to the retirement pension enjoyed by civil servants, the general population is mainly dependent on the provident fund," the authors said. This mandatory savings model requires employees to contribute 20% of their salary, while employers are responsible for contributing between 10% and 16%. CPF is used not only for home purchases, but also for medical expenses (which are usually paid by individuals over 60%) and pensions. This means that residents need to accumulate enough money on their own to support their retirement.
If the CPF is insufficient, Singapore encourages children to support the elderly. Therefore, many grandparents-level people choose to continue working to make ends meet. ”
Source: CNA
But in fact, only when the country was first established, Singapore implemented an independent civil service pension system, individuals did not need to contribute, and the pension was fully borne by the state treasury.
From 1972 onwards, new civil servants began to join the CPF system. Since 1 April 1986, most civil servants have been covered by the Central Provident Fund (CPF) system, with individual civil servants and the government contributing in accordance with the legal ratio.
图源：Todayonline
Many elderly Singaporeans come out to work, on the one hand, because of the government's call, because Singapore's aging population has intensified, increasing the burden on the country and the children of the elderly.
Another factor is that some elderly people did not save enough for their pension when they were working, or withdrew a large amount of their money when they could receive their CPF, resulting in the remaining CPF being unable to support their living expenses.
In order to make it easier for the elderly to be employed, the government has introduced the Re-employment Allowance for Part-Time Employees and the Employment Subsidy for Older Workers, encouraging them to hire the elderly by subsidizing enterprises.
Source: Nanyang Siang Pao
Singapore's education system is one of the best in the world. Two of Singapore's universities, the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the NTU (NTU), are ranked in the top 50 in the world.
In addition, Singapore's education emphasizes "teaching students according to their aptitude", and although there is a stream system since elementary school, those who are assigned to "poor classes" can still enter universities through their own efforts. (There are ready-made examples of coconuts entering ITE-Polytechnic-Nanyang Technological University after the N-level entrance examination~)
Source: Morning Post
Education in Singapore is cheap for citizens, with tuition and fees plus fees for public primary schools being only S$13 and secondary schools being S$22.
Singapore also disburses an education fund of S$200 for primary school students and S$240 for secondary school students each year. Singaporean students have a relatively relaxed curriculum with less homework, generally dismissing school from 12 noon to 2:30 p.m. (secondary and primary schools have different school hours) and allowing students to participate in a variety of extracurricular activities.
课外活动CCA，图源：School Bag
Singapore's food culture
Exposure exposure
Singapore is not only unique in terms of economic and social development, but also has a rich and colorful food culture, which blends various flavors and forms a unique food style. There are several typical delicacies in Singapore, all with unique traces of the South Seas!
For example, Nanyang old coffee, Hainanese chicken rice, curry fish head, bak kut teh, nasi lemak, fried Hokkien noodles, kaya toast, fried kuay teow, laksa and so on..... By the way, chilli crab is Singapore's "national dish"!
图源:Danielfooddiary
Singapore's "rules" in terms of traffic
Exposure exposure
Although public transportation in Singapore is relatively convenient, because there are many rules, it is inevitable that people who have just arrived in Singapore will be a little uncomfortable.
Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (MRT)
One of the most well-known rules on the Singapore MRT is that you are not allowed to eat/drink!
Especially durian, because the smell is too strong, it has been included in the "subway blacklist"!
And, unlike in many countries, toilets in MRT stations in Singapore are located outside the platform, requiring passengers to exit the station first.
Buses in Singapore
Please note that the names of bus stops in Singapore may be different for outbound and return trips. But most of the bus stops are covered with roofs.
In addition, most buses in Singapore do not report stops, and only a few buses have GPS stop announcements, so passengers need to make their own plans in advance, otherwise they may take the stop.
Sometimes, Singapore buses do not stop when they stop and require passengers to extend their hands to the driver in advance. You don't need to notify the driver when you arrive at the station, just press the red button in the car.
Bus with electronic display, photo: Reddit
Taxi Singapore
There are many restrictions on taxis in Singapore, mainly the following.
Passenger limit: Taxis are limited to four adults in addition to the driver. When a larger vehicle is required, a special reservation is required.
Taxi Quantity Control: Singapore has strict control over the number of taxis to protect the driver's income. As a result, taxis can be difficult to get on weekends or especially Sundays.
Private Car Control: Singapore has strict controls on the number of private cars. Vehicles entering the CBD of the city centre, whether private cars or taxis, are subject to an additional charge (ERP), which is borne by the passenger when travelling.
图源：Tech in Asia
45 trivia facts about Singapore
Exposure exposure
It can be seen that he has only been in Singapore for half a year, and the author of this article has a fairly accurate understanding of Singapore, and even coconuts can't catch any insects.
However, there are some unpopular Singapore knowledge that the author may not know......
If you find something wrong, you will move to the message area to teach science popularization.
跪求轻虐啊！！！！！！！！
【1】
The banknote has the national anthem printed on it
Step 1: Take out a new coin from your wallet
Step 2: Sing the Singapore national anthem along with the lyrics
The back of Singapore's banknotes
Printed with the lyrics of Singapore's national anthem
However, it is only available at S$1,000
Hey, I don't have 1,000 coconut belongings
【2】
Yogurt Size
Yakult bottles in Singapore
It is the largest size in Southeast Asia
The price is also the most expensive
【3】
There are no lions in the "Lion City".
About the origin of Singapore
The most widely used version is that there was a prince
Found lions on this continent
It was named Singapura
In Sanskrit, it means Lion City
However, historians say
Singapore has never had a lion
Only the Merlion Statue~
【4】
One of the few city-states
Singapore is the only one of its kind in the world
One of the three city-states
The other two are the Vatican and Monaco
【5】
Singapore's "Belonging"
Famous foreign cable cartoon TV station
Think of Singapore as a city in Malaysia
In fact, a lot of crooked nuts that I don't understand
They all mistakenly think that Singapore is Malaysia
Or part of China
Singapore is a country!
Singapore is a country!
Singapore is a country!
Say the important thing three times
【6】
Singaporeans are the fastest
According to a study in the United Kingdom
Singaporeans walk the fastest in the world
Walk about 6.15 kilometers in an hour
Maybe you think it's too hot
Hurriedly walked to the mall and the office to blow the air conditioner~
【7】
The youngest O-level candidate
The youngest O-level in the world
Those who pass the chemistry paper are Singaporeans
He was 7 years and 1 month old
I passed the exam
Applaud and sprinkle flowers~
【8】
Another Singapore in the world
In this world, there is another Singapore
It is the most famous ghost town in Michigan, USA
But this Singapore is gone
But traces of what once existed
There are still traces to follow
【9】
How many islands does Singapore have?
In addition to the main island on which we live
Singapore also has more than 60 small islands
But most of it is deserted
【10】
How small is it really?
Coconut friends always say that this is a small island
So how small is Singapore, exactly
It is one of the 20 smallest countries in the world
The land area is 734.3 km²
China's land area is more than 10,000 times that of Singapore
Singapore has been reclaiming land from the sea, and the land area will continue to increase, source: see watermark
【11】
The meaning of the Singapore flag
The meaning of the Singapore flag
The red background symbolizes the friendship of the world and the equality of all people
The white background symbolizes purity and virtue
The five five-pointed stars represent the five ideals of the country
Democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality
【12】
Singapore's national flower
Singapore's national flower, the orchid
It was discovered by an American in 1893
【13】
The largest bat in the world
The world's largest bat is located in Singapore
It can be seen on Pulau Ubin
The wingspan is up to 1.5 meters
【14】
Singapore Night Safari
It is the first of its kind in the world
Night Zoo
It is possible to take a tour bus
You can also get out of the car and follow the trail to see the animals up close
【15】
Exporting country of ornamental fish
To know Singapore's agricultural products
Generally imported
Even the water is imported
But it's the largest in the world
Ornamental fish exporting countries
25% of the world's aquarium fish come from Singapore
【16】
Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
The species of trees here
More than in all of North America
I'll go
【17】
The highest mountain in Singapore
The highest natural attraction here is
Bukit Timah Hill
But it's only 164 meters high, cough
【18】
The tallest building in Singapore
According to regulations
Buildings in Singapore are not allowed to be more than 280 meters
One Raffles, UOB Building, and Republic Square
It's all so high
【19】
The well-known Fountain of Fortune
Suntec City's Fountain of Fortune
It is one of the largest fountains in the world
It was built in 1997 at a cost of $6 million
【20】
Changi Airport in Singapore
From 1987 until 2014
Singapore Changi Airport for 28 consecutive years
Won the Best Airport Award
The Asian Freight and Supply Chain Awards
Also, in Skytrax's "World's Best Airport" ranking
Changi Airport has also won the crown 12 times
The most recent one was in 2023~
【21】
Human Domino Records
Singapore is the human domino of the world
Guinness World Record holder
This Guinness World Record was made in:
Date: September 30, 2000
Location: Sentosa
There were more than 9,234 students at that time
Participated in the setting of this record
They are all from NYAA Poly Connects schools
A 4.2-kilometer-long human domino was created
(However, it was broken by China in 2010)
【22】
Drumming and passing flowers
Pass-the-Parcel game
It's a bit like beating a drum and passing flowers
Singapore holds the record for this game
On February 28, 1998
There were 3,918 students out
2200 gifts
【23】
Line Dance
It's a group dance
It was once popular in Singapore
It is also here that the group dance record is produced
There were 11,967 people participating in the dance
【24】
The fastest selling book
The holder of the fastest sales of books in Singapore
40,000 copies were sold in two months
Hello Chok Tong, Goodbye Kuan Yew:
The Untold Story
【25】
Best selling author
One of the best-selling authors in Singapore
is a ghost story author
His 11 volumes of true ghost stories from Singapore
600,000 copies have been sold
【26】
The highest-grossing film
Singapore's highest-grossing film
Not surprisingly, Avengers 4: Endgame
The box office reached S$19.56 million!!
Marvel characters are very popular in Singapore, source: The Straits Times
【27】
The first local film to make a name for itself overseas
The first was at the Cannes Film Festival in France
Screening of indigenous films
It was the work of Eric Khoo in 1997
《12 Storeys》
【28】
The most critically acclaimed homegrown film
The best local word-of-mouth movie
It's "Mom and Dad Are Not Home"
斩获了2013年戛纳电影节的Golden Camera奖
He went to 35 film festivals and won 35 international awards
【29】
violinist
Internationally acclaimed violinist
Vanessa Mae Nicholson
In fact, he was born in Singapore
I moved to the UK when I was 4 years old
【30】
The most rammed birth month
Singaporeans are said to be in October
The most were born
WHY?
Could it be a Libra/Scorpio baby
Particularly cute?
【31】
The most rammed Chinese name and surname
in Singapore
The most common Chinese surnames are:
Tan, Lee, and Lim
It should be Chen, Li and Lin
【32】
Singapore's roads are 'winding'
Although Singapore is small
Together, the total length of the roads is at least 3,000 kilometers
Words from end to end
It's almost the distance from Singapore to Hong Kong
【33】
Mobile phone penetration
80% of Singaporeans own a mobile phone
Many working people have two parts
One is a private mobile phone
One for work use
【34】
The swimming champion is him!
Hong Bingxiang once obtained
World No. 1 in the 50-meter freestyle
Coconut friends don't just know Joselin~
【35】
"Singapore Style"
This cocktail is unique to Singapore
It was first introduced in 1915
Tasted by a lucky winner at the famous Long Bar
【36】
The national anthem is in Malay
There are four official languages in Singapore
The most widely spoken is English
However, the national anthem is not in English
It's in Malay
It is said that this was when Singapore gained independence from Malaya
One of the conditions for the independence of the negotiated
【37】
The country with the highest number of death row prisoners
Singapore is the best in the world
One of the countries with the highest number of death sentences
Most are directed at drug dealers
After all, Singapore is against drugs
It has always been "zero tolerance"
【38】
How easy is it to get a work permit and immigrate to Singapore?
In recent years, the Singapore work permit application threshold
It's constantly going up
From September 1, 2023
The minimum monthly salary for SP Pass applicants
From 3000 new to 3150 new
Previously, the minimum monthly salary for EP Pass applicants
It has also been increased from 4,500 to 5,000 new ......
Moreover, many people have come to Singapore for many years
Want to apply for PR PR
But in the end, it was tragic......
Source: Xiaohongshu netizen @buckwheat
【39】
The world's largest orchid garden
The world's largest tropical orchid garden
It's in the botanical gardens of Singapore
It attracts tens of thousands of people every year
【40】
It has a World Heritage Site
Singapore Botanic Gardens in 2015
Awarded a UNESCO World Heritage Site
It is one of the few in the world
A botanical garden that has become a World Heritage Site
【41】
First Olympic gold
The first person in Singapore to win an Olympic gold medal
It was the 100m butterfly event at the 2016 Olympic Games
He is the little prince of butterfly swimming, Joseline
【42】
First Paralympic gold medal
In 2016, Singapore opened
Ye Pinxiu in the 50m backstroke event
Won Singapore's first Paralympic gold medal
【43】
Constantly changing time zones
Historically, Singapore has changed its time zone 6 times
Since 1905, Singapore has undergone constant changes
The current time zone is GMT+8
(In order to synchronize with Malaysia)
But in reality, Singapore should be in the GMT+7.5 time zone
【44】
International Day initiated by Singapore
Initiated by Singapore
Eventually, it was agreed by the United Nations
World Toilet Day is celebrated every year on November 19th!
In Singapore, I forgot to flush the toilet
You will also be fined S$150~
【45】
The second tallest observation wheel in the world
The Singapore Flyer is 165 meters high
It's like 31 male giraffes stacked on top of each other!
It is currently ranked second highest!
The tallest American "High Roller" is 167.64 meters high
Source: The Straits Times