Household Formation Trends and Shift in Average Number of Persons Per Household

3 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Prime Minister with regard to the number of household formation in the last three years (a) what is the expected trend on such number in the next three years; and (b) whether there will be a shift in the average number of persons in each household based on the expected trend.

Ms Indranee Rajah (for the Prime Minister): The rates of household formation and average household sizes are influenced by several factors, such as family formation and dissolution, and preferences for various living arrangements.

The number of resident households¹ grew by an average of 0.7% per annum between 2019 and 2021, from 1.37 million to 1.39 million. This was slower than the average annual growth rate of 2.4% between 2016 and 2018, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The average household size has remained stable between 2019 and 2021, at around 3.2 persons per household. This is a slight decrease compared to the preceding three-year period of around 3.3 persons per household on average.

For the near future, we expect societal trends towards smaller households and continued growth in the formation of households. We will continue to monitor these trends closely to ensure that our policies and plans meet Singaporeans’ needs.