How Many People Apply for PR in Singapore?

The short answer

The number of people who apply for PR in Singapore each year is not published. What the government reports is the number of new PRs granted, not the number of applications received. So there is no official application figure to quote, and any specific number you come across is not authoritative.

What is published, through official population statistics, is the count of new PRs granted, commonly in the order of tens of thousands a year. For the authoritative numbers that do exist, those reports are the source, rather than a rumoured application count.

What is not published

To know how many people apply, the government would need to release the total number of applications received. This is not part of what is routinely published, so no official application count exists. Only the outcome, the number granted, is reported.

So if you see a confident figure for how many apply, be sceptical. Without official application totals, any such number is at best an estimate. It is not something the government publishes.

What is published

What the government does publish is the number of new PRs granted each year, through its population statistics, notably the Population in Brief release and related National Population and Talent Division materials. These give grant numbers, not application numbers.

So the authoritative figure that exists is how many new PRs were granted, commonly in the order of tens of thousands, with the government having publicly pointed to a figure of around 30,000 a year. That is a count of grants, not applications.

Grants versus applications

As the table shows, the grant numbers and total PR population are published, while the application count and any approval rate are not. This is why a definitive figure for how many apply simply does not exist to cite.

Why applications are likely far higher than grants

Although the number is not published, it is reasonable to infer that far more people apply than are granted, given the large non-resident population and the capped, selective intake. Many applications are refused, so the number applying is almost certainly well above the number granted.

So even without a figure, the gap between the many who might apply and the tens of thousands granted tells you PR is competitive. That inference, not a precise application count, is what the numbers support.

What this tells you about difficulty

The published grant numbers, set against the far larger pool of potential applicants, make clear that PR is selective. Tens of thousands of grants a year is meaningful but small relative to the potential demand, which is why capable applicants are still refused.

So the absence of an application count does not leave you in the dark about difficulty. The capped, managed grant numbers show PR is competitive, whatever the unpublished application total might be.

How to treat application-number claims

Claims of a specific number of applicants should be verified rather than assumed. Since no official application figure is published, such numbers are not authoritative, and acting on them, for example to gauge your own chances, is unwise.

The reliable approach is to rely on the official grant numbers where you need figures, and to focus on the strength of your own application rather than trying to read your odds from an unpublished applicant count.

Where to find the real numbers

For the authoritative figures that do exist, the number of new PRs granted, consult the government’s population statistics, such as the Population in Brief release. These are updated periodically and are the definitive source, unlike a circulating application figure.

Treat this guide as an explanation of what is and is not published, not as a source for a specific application number, which does not officially exist. For real numbers, go to the official reports.

Focus on your case, not the numbers

It is natural to want to know how many people apply, as if it would tell you your odds. But because the figure is not published and each application is assessed on its own merits, the applicant count would not actually help you much even if you had it.

So rather than chasing an unpublished number, focus on what you control: building a genuine, settled profile and submitting a strong application. That is what determines your outcome, far more than how many others apply.

Common misconceptions

Clearing these up points you to the real, published figures and away from unreliable application claims.

The bottom line on how many people apply

To sum up: the number of people who apply for PR in Singapore each year is not published. The government reports the number of new PRs granted, commonly in the order of tens of thousands, not how many apply, so any specific application figure you see is not authoritative.

Rely on the official grant numbers in the population statistics where you need figures, treat circulating application counts with caution, and focus on the strength of your own application. The capped grant numbers already tell you PR is selective and competitive.

For the fuller picture, see our guides to Singapore Permanent Residence and Singapore Permanent Residence eligibility.

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