Overall, Singapore residents are leading healthier lifestyles, with increased physical activity and a record low smoking rate. However, the issues of obesity and mental health are on the rise, becoming new concerns for public health.
According to Lianhe Zaobao, Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung announced the results of the 2024 National Population Health Survey during his speech at the 25th anniversary dinner of SingHealth Polyclinics on the 17th.
The survey shows that the local population’s overall physical activity has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels; five years ago it was 84.6%, dropped to 78.5% in 2023, but in last year’s survey, rebounded to 84.7%.
Among these, commuting accounted for the largest portion of weekly activity at 51.6%, followed by leisure-time exercise (24.7%) and work-related activities (23.6%).
The smoking rate has continued to decline, from 10.6% in 2019 to 8.8% in 2023, and further down to 8.4% last year—a new historic low.
Comparing data from 2019-2020 to 2023-2024, the prevalence of diabetes showed a slight decrease, from 9.5% to 9.1%. Hypertension dropped from 35.5% to 33.8%, and high cholesterol from 39.1% to 30.5%. Even so, about one-third of the local population still suffers from high cholesterol and hypertension.
● Young Adults
Ong Ye Kung pointed out that the rise in obesity and mental health issues are two emerging trends that urgently require Singapore’s collective attention.
The survey shows that Singapore's obesity rate rose from 10.5% in 2019–2020 to 12.7% in 2023–2024. This increase is especially pronounced among young adults, with the obesity rate in the 18–29 age group nearly doubling.
Ong Ye Kung said this is a worrying sign, indicating that the busier, more sedentary, and digitally-driven modern lifestyle is increasing health risks, with more people facing stress, anxiety, and loneliness.
About 15% of local residents feel their mental health is poor. For young people aged 18–29, the proportion is even higher, at about a quarter (25.5%).
However, more people are also willing to seek help. The proportion of people seeking assistance from informal support networks increased significantly from 78.4% in 2023 to 81.8% in 2024, much higher than the 74.5% in 2019.
The proportion seeking help from medical professionals also rose from 47.8% in 2019 to 64% last year.