Largest Planning Areas by Population in Singapore

36 planning areas in Singapore with 2,500 or more inhabitants, ranked by population estimates for June 30, 2025 (by Singapore Department of Statistics). Singapore is one city, divided into planning areas for urban planning.

RankPlanning AreaPopulation
1Tampines290,090
2Bedok274,360
3Sengkang267,600
4Woodlands254,440
5Jurong West253,840
6Yishun228,730
7Hougang227,220
8Punggol204,150
9Choa Chu Kang187,550
10Bukit Batok165,830
11Ang Mo Kio158,720
12Bukit Merah146,200
13Pasir Ris144,260
14Toa Payoh142,220
15Bukit Panjang136,360
16Geylang117,640
17Serangoon116,630
18Sembawang113,350
19Clementi104,240
20Kallang101,720
21Queenstown101,480
22Bishan87,530
23Bukit Timah85,900
24Jurong East72,950
25Novena53,160
26Marine Parade47,480
27Tanglin24,630
28Tengah22,960
29Outram16,940
30Rochor12,790
31River Valley12,700
32Newton10,110
33Downtown Core (Singapore)5,230
34Singapore River4,630
35Southern IslandsSentosa2,680
36Changi1,960

Source: Singapore Department of Statistics (2025 estimate), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff.

Why don't these match official city populations?Official figures typically count only the population within administrative boundaries. UN urban area figures cover the entire built-up area, which can include multiple cities and towns.

Tokyo

33,338,852

Urban area

9,953,160

23 wards

Essen

2,709,375

Urban area

573,618

City of Essen

Ankara

3,630,865

Urban area

5,186,002

Metropolitan municipality

What counts as an urban area? The UN uses satellite imagery to map built-up land, and treats each continuous stretch of built-up land as an urban area. This means that urban areas can extend beyond official city boundaries, and may include multiple cities and towns within a single urban area.

Can an urban area be smaller than its city? Yes. While most cities have urban areas larger than their administrative boundaries, some cities have extensive administrative limits that include sparsely populated areas.

2 urban areas in Singapore with 50,000 or more inhabitants, ranked by the UN's population estimates for 2026.

RankUrban AreaPopulation Estimate (2026)Yearly ChangeLand Area (km²)Density (P/km²)World RankProjections (2030)Projections (2050)
1Singapore4,989,549+0.51%36813,559855,091,7525,125,633
2Sembawang883,237+0.53%6114,479594901,979914,537

Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025). World Urbanization Prospects: The 2025 Revision, Online Edition.

See also