IFES Election Guide | Country Profile: Singapore

Republic of Singapore

5,637,020
Population (as of Jan. 1, 2022)

2,758,095
Registered Voters (as of March 24, 2025)

83.10%
Average Turnout

9
Elections in our database

V-Dem* Score: 0.414
Regimes of the World Classification: Electoral Autocracy
*Varieties of Democracy Electoral Democracy Index (2024)

CEDAW Status: Ratified
Ratified Date: Oct. 5, 1995

SIGI* Score: 45.0
Level of Discrimination: High
*Social Institutions and Gender Index (2023)

CRPD Status: Signed and Ratified
Signed Date: Nov. 12, 2012
Ratified Date: July 18, 2013

HDI* Score: 0.946
Category: Very High
*UNDP Human Development Index (2023)

Name	Official Name	Type
Singaporean Parliament		Assembly
Singaporean Presidency	None	Head of State

Description of government structure:

Chief of State: President Tharman SHANMUGARATNAM (since 14 September 2023)
Head of Government: Prime Minister Lawrence WONG (since 15 May 2024)
Assembly: unicameral Parliament with 99 seats

Description of electoral system:

The President is directly elected by simple majority vote and may serve an unlimited number of 6-year terms. If the presidency has not been held by a certain ethnic group (Chinese, Malay, Indian and others) for the last 5 terms, a reserved election is held in which only candidates from that group are eligible to run.
The Prime Minister, typically the parliamentary majority leader, is appointed by the President.
In Parliament, 88 members are directly elected by plurality vote. Additionally, up to 12 of the highest-polling opposition candidates may be named as non-constituency members (NCMPs), and up to 9 members may be nominated by a parliamentary committee and confirmed by the President.

Elections

2025-05-03 | Status: Held
Singaporean Parliament
Votes 2,438,610
Registered 2,758,095
Turnout 88.42

2023-09-01 | Status: Held
Singaporean Presidency
Votes 2,534,711
Registered 2,709,455
Turnout 93.55

2020-07-10 | Status: Held
Singaporean Parliament
Votes 2,540,359
Registered 2,651,435
Turnout 95.81

2017-09-23 | Status: Held
Singaporean Presidency
Votes 1
Registered 2,516,608
Turnout -

2015-09-11 | Status: Held
Singaporean Parliament
Votes 2,304,331
Registered 2,462,926
Turnout 93.56

2011-08-27 | Status: Held
Singaporean Presidency
Votes 2,156,389
Registered 2,274,773
Turnout 94.8

2011-05-07 | Status: Held
Singaporean Parliament
Votes 2,060,373
Registered 2,211,102
Turnout 93.18

2006-05-06 | Status: Held
Singaporean Parliament
Votes 1,149,668
Registered 1,222,884
Turnout 94.01

2001-11-03 | Status: Held
Singaporean Parliament
Votes 638,903
Registered 675,306
Turnout 94.61

Election For	Date	Status	Votes	Registered Voters	Turnout
Singaporean Parliament	2025-05-03	Held	2,438,610	2,758,095	88.42
Singaporean Presidency	2023-09-01	Held	2,534,711	2,709,455	93.55
Singaporean Parliament	2020-07-10	Held	2,540,359	2,651,435	95.81
Singaporean Presidency	2017-09-23	Held	1	2,516,608	-
Singaporean Parliament	2015-09-11	Held	2,304,331	2,462,926	93.56
Singaporean Presidency	2011-08-27	Held	2,156,389	2,274,773	94.8
Singaporean Parliament	2011-05-07	Held	2,060,373	2,211,102	93.18
Singaporean Parliament	2006-05-06	Held	1,149,668	1,222,884	94.01
Singaporean Parliament	2001-11-03	Held	638,903	675,306	94.61

Voter Turnout

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