Chinese Singaporeans
新加坡華人/新加坡华人 Xīnjiāpō Huárén 華裔新加坡人/华裔新加坡人 Huáyì Xīnjiapōrén | |
|---|---|
Singaporean Chinese playing Chinese chess (Xiangqi) in Chinatown, Singapore. | |
| Total population | |
| Chinese as per National Registration Identity Card 2,675,521 75.9% of the Singapore resident[a] population (2020)[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Singapore | |
| Languages | |
| Religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Peranakans, Chinese Malaysians, Chinese Indonesians, Chinese Filipinos, Thai Chinese |
| Part of a series on |
| Singaporeans |
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Singaporean Chinese or Chinese Singaporeans (traditional Chinese: 新加坡華人/華裔新加坡人; simplified Chinese: 新加坡华人/华裔新加坡人; pinyin: Xīnjiāpō Huárén / Huáyì Xīnjiāpōrén) are Singaporeans of Han ancestry. They constitute 75.9% of the resident population, making them the largest ethnic group in Singapore.[2][3] In Singapore, "Chinese" is an umbrella term defined in both geographical and ethnic-cultural contexts as pertaining to Greater China and bears no necessary relation to the contemporary People's Republic of China, whose citizens are classified separately when in Singapore. As a result, some Singaporeans of Han ancestry would simply just consider themselves "Singaporean", viewing themselves as distinct from the "China Chinese" in terms of culture, identity and social reality.[4]
Evidence of Chinese people trading with and settling among local populations in Singapore dates as early as the 10th century.[5][6][7] Prior to the establishment of Singapore as a British trading port, the island was home to a small community of around 120 Malays and 20 to 30 Chinese, mostly traders.[8] The colonial period saw a substantial influx of male Chinese migrants, who often returned to their families in China after earning sufficient income. Over time, more ethnic Chinese arrived in Singapore such as the samsui women and other economic migrants. This led to a more balanced gender ratio and a diversified age distribution, which formed the bulk of the Singaporean Chinese population known today.[9]
The Chinese community in Singapore is internally diverse, with the majority descending from Hokkien ancestry, while significant minorities include Cantonese, Hakka, Teochew and Hainanese groups.[10] Over the centuries, the community has maintained distinct linguistic, cultural and social practices to mainland Chinese culture alongside influences from the Malay and Indian communities, while also contributing significantly to Singapore's broader cultural landscape and social development.[11]
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- ^ "Census 2020" (PDF). Singapore Department of Statistics. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ "Population in Brief 2015" (PDF). Singapore Government. September 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 February 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
- ^ "Population Trends 2011" (PDF). Singapore Department of Statistics, Social Statistics Section. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 November 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
- ^ Lim, Kimberly (10 May 2024). "Don't call us 'Chinese': Singapore TikTok video sparks debate over roots". scmp.com. South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 29 July 2025. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
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warrenwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Hue, Guan Thye; Liu, Yilin; Choo, Juhn Khai Klan; et al. (2022). "The Development and Changes of Singapore Chinese Society in 19–20th Century—An Analysis from the Perspective of Dialect Group Cemetery Hills". Histories. 2 (3): 288–314 – via MDPI.
- ^ Tham, Davina. "NDR 2025: Chinese community has contributed significantly to strong Singaporean identity, says PM Wong". CNA. Archived from the original on 18 August 2025. Retrieved 18 August 2025.