Select a country in

Ecommerce Facts and Figures in Singapore

Mobile commerce and online shopper behaviour in Singapore

Read below more about ecommerce growth, Ecommerce sales and cross-border ecommerce in Singapore
Singapore is a strong ecommerce market within Asia, with high levels of internet and mobile penetration. Smartphone usage is certainly driving the ecommerce market in Singapore, with over 35% of smartphone users doing purchases via their mobile device in the first three months of 2014. Singapore also stands out for its participation in cross-border ecommerce, the most active country in the Asia Pacific region.

Total Population
- 5.4 million
Age Breakdown
- Over 50% of the population in Singapore are between 25 and 54.
Religion
- Singapore is a country with a number of religious beliefs, but the most prevalent is Buddhist at 33%.
Urban Population
- 100%
Internet Penetration
- 75%
Mobile Penetration
- 156%
Tablet Penetration
- 47% 
Smartphone Penetration
- 87%
Online Shoppers
- 4.4 million
Ecommerce Sales
- USD 3.5 billion (SGD 4.4 billion) 
- Up from USD 2 billion (SGD 2.5 billion) in 2012.
- The Singaporean online shopper spends an average of USD 1120 (SGD 1422) a year. 
Ecommerce Penetration
- 94%
Ecommerce CAGR (2008 – 2013) 
- 7.7%

Cross-border Ecommerce Opportunities

• Of the Asian-Pacific countries, Singapore had the highest estimated share of cross-border B2C ecommerce in 2013.
• The population of Singapore includes almost 40% permanent foreign residents (workers or students), and 23% of Singaporean citizens were born abroad. This explains why 55% of ecommerce transactions are conducted cross-border.

Language as a Key Driver

• English was introduced to Singapore in 1819 when the British first established a port and then a colony on the island. English is considered the main language of Singapore and is one of the only countries in the South East Asia region that uses English as a working language.
• The Singaporean government recognizes four official languages: English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil.
• Singapore has a policy of bilingualism. Students learn in English but are taught the language of their ethnicity, referred to as their "mother tongue". The mother tongue is seen as a way to preserve unique cultural values in the multicultural society, although their usage is decreasing in the home as English becomes more predominant.