“Some of it is due to immigration, but a significant number is also due to the way in which the community has improved,” The Straits Times quoted the minister as saying on Saturday (April 19) at an appreciation ceremony for donors, partners and volunteers of self-help group Singapore Indian Development Association, or Sinda, activities of which include lending education support to the community.
Shanmugam, the Sinda chairman, said there were also fewer school dropouts, noting that about 18% of Indians left school without a secondary education in 2020, down from 38% in 2000.Read more: Singapore dissolves parliament, paving way for general elections
He also highlighted that the median monthly income of Indian households “increased by a very substantial 40% in the 10 years between 2010 and 2020,” from SGD 6,000 in 2010 to SGD 8,500 in 2020.However, he said, more can be done, such as on the school front, the dropout rate can be further reduced. “We can do better because one in five is still too much, but it isn’t four in 10,” Shanmugam said.
In his speech, Sinda chief executive Anbarasu Rajendran said the organisation helped nearly 31,500 individuals in 2024 through a wide range of programmes. He said this was possible with the support of 578 partners, including corporates, and more than 400 volunteers.
Anbarasu added that Sinda received SGD 1.7 million in donations in 2024. Indians represented 7.6% of Singapore’s citizens of close to six million, while Malays and Chinese made up 15.1% and 75.6% of the population, respectively, in 2024, according to recent media reports.
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Immigrants, especially professionals taking Singapore citizenship, make up for the population growth in the city state with a slower baby birth rate of below 1%.
First Published: Apr 20, 2025 1:45 PM IS
