Singapore :: People
0-14 years: 15.2% (male 358,064; female 333,702)
85% of Singaporeans lives in high-rise public flats (apartments), of which 93% own the HDB (Housing Development Board) flats they occupied. They hang their laundry on bamboo poles which are inserted into pole holders on the outside, just below the windows. These clean, colourful laundry fluttering in the sky are affectionately called "Singapore flags".Ethnic groups: Chinese 76.8%, Malay 13.9%, Indian 7.9%, Eurasians and people of other descent 1.4% (2000 census)
Largely descendents of immigrants from China, the Malay Peninsula and the Indian sub-continent.Religions: Buddhism (42.5%); Taoism (8.5%); Islam (14.9%); Christianity (14.6%); Hinduism (4.0%); Other religions (0.6%); No religion (14.8%)
Languages:
English (language of business and administration; widely spoken and understood),
Malay (national language for historical reasons),
Tamil,
Mandarin
Most Singaporeans are bilingual, and speak their mother tongue as well as English. The local colloquial dialect of English is Singlish which incorporates vocabulary and grammar from various Chinese dialects, Malay and Indian languages.Literacy rate: 92.5% (of those age 15 and above) can read and write (2000 census)
Source of statistics: World Factbook, updated August 2007