Christians on the rise in Singapore

(February 16, 2011) In Singapore, Christianity saw the greatest increase in followers over the past ten years, according to the 2010 government census. Christians now form 18 per cent of the population, up 3 cent from 2000. The census also reported that people with no religion and more single people is higher, and noted declining marriage and fertility rates across ethnic groups. Hinduism and Taoism also reported significant growth, hitting 11 per cent and 5 per cent respectively in 2010. Islam remained stable at 15 per cent and Buddhism saw the largest drop in followers, from 43 per cent to 33 per cent over ten years.
Detailed figures suggest that many Christian converts are ethnic Chinese, who previously followed Buddhism. The rise in the Christian population could also be affected by the rising number of permanent residents, 23 per cent of whom are Christian. Christian groups offer a sense of community that is ideal for new residents, said researcher Mathew Mathews, from the Institute of Policy Studies. The census also reported that one in three university graduates are Christian. However, there are more Christians with only secondary educational qualifications. Mathews told the Straits Times this could be because of outreach services in the heartlands that are offered in Tamil and Mandarin.