Tamil Population

The Tamils make up the largest segment of the Indian community in Singapore. While data on the Tamil population is sketchy before the introduction of census data collection by the British colonial administration, there are also problems with clear definitions of Indians and Tamils. The Ceylon Tamils, for instance, did not want to be identified as Indians or as part of the Indian Tamils and tried to maintain a separate identity since the colonial days for a long time. “Indian” is used in some censuses as a racial category and includes Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Sri Lankans. It is important to note that the categorisation of Tamils and Indians in population statistics has intrinsic problems and needs to be used with caution. However, the following provides an overview of the developments in the Tamil population in Singapore since the island was founded as a British colony in 1819.

The earliest known census in Singapore was conducted in 1824, followed by 13 more till 1860. The early censuses are often considered unreliable and less detailed than modern ones. Singapore’s first systematic census was taken in 1871 as part of the Straits Settlement Census. Since then, regular decennial censuses were undertaken until 1931. The Second World War disrupted the regularity, and subsequent censuses were taken in 1947 and 1957. In 1970, Singapore conducted its first post-Independence population census, followed by five more in 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020. 

In the 1824 census, 756 individuals were identified as Indians out of a total population of 10,683. There was no specific data on the number of Tamils in Singapore. The first wave of Chettiar immigrants, a subgroup of the Tamil community originating from Chettinad in Tamil Nadu, India, are believed to have arrived in Singapore in the 1820s. Around the same time, Tamil Muslims had also begun migrating to Singapore. By 1860, approximately 13,000 Indians resided on the island, with the majority being South Indians, primarily Tamils. The Indian community was then Singapore’s second-largest community after the Chinese. However, this position began to change in the 1870s and has remained the third-largest community after the Chinese and Malays ever since.

Although the proportion of Tamils and other Indians in the Singapore population has fluctuated over time, there is a general commitment by the government to maintain a population ratio roughly in the order of 75:15:8 per cent for Chinese, Malays, and Indians, respectively. However, migration policies and patterns do not always adhere to this ratio. Economic imperatives sometimes take precedence over ethnic proportions. Additionally, Tamil migrants in recent decades tend to be professionals and highly skilled, meeting the need for such individuals in the Singapore workforce. This is in stark contrast to the numerous indentured labourers who arrived here during the early decades of colonial rule.

Additionally, the fertility rate of each ethnic group influences the population ratio to some extent. However, the fertility rate of Indian females, which has been around 1 in the 2020s, is slightly lower than that of the Malays and marginally higher than that of the Chinese; therefore, the local component in the population ratio is unlikely to increase much. As a result, immigration is likely to continue to play a significant role in maintaining the Indian population ratio in Singapore. There have been some concerns whether the Tamil component of the Indian population might dwindle if the government’s focus is on ‘Indian population’ rather than ‘Tamil population.’

The following table is based on available official statistics. 

Tamil population in Singapore since the 19th Century 

Source: Singapore Department of Statistics



For more information 
Department of Statistics Singapore. Accessed on 1 August 2025. https://www.singstat.gov.sg
Schiffman, Harold F. Tongue-Tied in Singapore: A Language Policy for Tamil?. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania - South Asia Studies, 1994. https://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/public/tongueti.htm  Leng, Ang Seow. “Head Count: The History of Census-taking in Singapore,” Biblioasia, 21 January 2020. https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/vol-15/issue-4/jan-mar-2020/head-count-history/
LePoer, Barbara Leitch, ed. Singapore - A Country Study, 2nd ed. Singapore: Federal Research Division Library of Congress, 1989. Dunlop, S., W.A. Pickering, V. Cousins, H. Heweston, A. Knight and A.P. Talbot.Report on the Census of Singapore, 1881.
Singapore: Straits Settlements Government Press, 1882. Merewether, E.M. Report on the Census of the Straits Settlements taken on the 5th April 1891. Singapore: Government Printing Press, 1892

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The information in this article is valid as of August 2025 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. If you have any feedback on this article, please submit here.