Last year, 87,200 Singaporeans aged sixty-five and above were living alone.

That is an 11.6 percent leap in just twelve months, and it is more than double the number a decade ago.

ONE IN FIVE RESIDENTS IS NOW A SENIOR

The resident population aged sixty-five and above stands at 767,900—about 20 percent of us. In 2014 it was 466,300. We will cross the one-in-four mark before the decade ends.

Four out of five older people still share a roof with loved ones, yet even that familiar safety net is thinning. Couples who live only with each other but without their children now number 208 600—almost twice the total in 2014. Smaller families, longer lifespans and a mobile workforce have redrawn the map of inter-generational care.

Surveys remind us that many elders remain upbeat: roughly six in ten say they are happy with family relationships and support. Happiness, however, can sit beside vulnerability; a friendly phone call does not replace a night-time fall alarm.

3.5 : 1

There are only three-and-a-half working-age Singaporeans for every senior today.

The Technology Dividend—or Deficit

Artificial intelligence is rewriting job scopes and promising shorter work-weeks. If that time windfall is channelled into community care, the demographic crunch turns into an opportunity. If it is swallowed by gig churn and winner-takes-all wages, isolation will deepen.

When I spoke recently with a young person, he asked how could he convince his peers who are not currently doing community work to help build a gracious society. He is not alone. National dialogues—from Honour (Singapore) sessions to the Forward Singapore exercise—show a broad desire for a kinder, more considerate nation. A 2024 survey by the Singapore Kindness Movement found that younger adults (25–44) were the biggest drivers of a rising Graciousness Index. And a 2020 citizens’ work-group poll recorded 70 percent of respondents naming “a gracious society” as a top aspiration for Singapore.

The consensus is clear. The path is not.

Skills, Not Job Titles

A gracious society is not built only by social workers. It is built when:

  • Developers prototype voice companions that watch over frail elders.
  • Risk analysts help charities model cash-flow so services survive downturns.
  • Media creatives teach seniors to share their stories online, bridging a digital divide.

As AI lifts routine tasks from our desks, the true premium shifts to relational work: listening, mentoring, comforting, including. Technology amplifies what already exists, so it can widen fault lines—or weave tighter bonds.

The demographic numbers sound an alarm. They also extend an invitation. Use the productivity dividend to ensure no one ages alone or caregives in a lonely way.

Source: Ministry of Social and Family Development, Family Trends Report 2025 (7 July 2025). Full report: https://www.msf.gov.sg/research-data/research-reports-data/support-families-and-parents/article/family-trends-report-2025

This article was written by Haojun See and originally posted on LinkedIn on July 7, 2025.