Singapore's total population may hit four million this
year ('99), boosted in part by an influx of foreigners. With our current
population standing at 3.87 million, we take a look at how crowded the island will be when we hit the four-million
mark.
How many foreigners are there in Singapore?
702,100 (as of 1998)
How many are Americans, British and Australians?
Americans: 10,000 - 12,000
British: 10,000
Australians: 5,000
The three most heavily-populated areas in Singapore
are...
Tampines/Simei,
Hougang/Serangoon/Yio Chu Kang
and Ang Mo Kio
The three most least-populated areas in Singapore
are...
Telok Ayer/Raffles,
Changi/Tanah Merah,
Choa Chu Kang/Sungei Tengah
To ship out 4 million Singaporeans...
...10,076 Boeing 747s would be needed
All 4 million Singaporeans would fit into 2,223 MRT
trains (maximum capacity of an MRT train with six carriages is 1,800)
If all 4 million Singaporeans could be housed in one
standard HDB block...
...it would need to have 250,000 storeys
How do we cope?
Some ideas: Stretch Housing Board blocks
to 30 stories and beyond; Turn sleepy Pulau
Ubin into another new town, with undersea tunnels connecting the island to the
mainland; Convert part of military haven Pulau
Tekong
into residential area...