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Hong Kong vs Singapore
Side-by-side comparison of Hong Kong and Singapore from official statistics: size, economy, people, trade, natural resources, health, infrastructure and military, with world ranks, years and sources.
In short
Hong Kong scores 84.3 in the NationsTree Index (2nd in the world) and Singapore scores 82.1 (3rd), a gap of 2.2 points. Their trees are 17 m and 22 m tall; tree height grows with real GDP and is adjusted by the index.
Hong Kong has 23% more people than Singapore. Hong Kong has 51% more land area than Singapore. The economy of Singapore is 66% larger than that of Hong Kong (GDP at purchasing power parity). Population: Hong Kong 7.5 million and Singapore 6.1 million (2025).
GDP per person at purchasing power parity is $163,354 in Singapore and $80,423 in Hong Kong (2025, international dollars). People in Hong Kong live on average 2.0 years longer (85.4 vs 83.3 years).
Of 28 indicators reported by both countries, Hong Kong ranks higher in the world on 10 and Singapore on 18. Hong Kong is clearly stronger in society & health and tourism. Singapore is clearly stronger in main industries, environment & energy and science & innovation.
As a nation, Singapore is the older of the two (statehood since 1965, 61 years), compared with Hong Kong (since 1997). Over the last five years Hong Kong improved faster (direction score 95 vs 51 out of 100).
Where they differ most
The indicators with the biggest gap in world position between Hong Kong and Singapore.
Over time
How the two countries moved against each other, from the yearly data.
Hong Kong overtook Singapore in the NationsTree Index in 2025, the latest year with data.
Singapore overtook Hong Kong in GDP (PPP) in 2007 and has stayed ahead since.
Singapore has been ahead of Hong Kong in GDP per person (PPP) in every year since 1990.
Hong Kong has been ahead of Singapore in life expectancy and population in every year since 1990.
Strength by category
Average world percentile of the indicators in each category (0–100, direction taken into account). i
Hong KongSingapore All indicators
Latest available value for each country with its year and world rank. Green: the better world position of the two, red: the weaker one.
| Indicator | Hong Kong | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| Land & people | ||
| Surface area km² | 1,110177th/216 · 2024 | 736184th/216 · 2024 |
| Land area km² | 1,050176th/216 · 2024 | 725182nd/216 · 2024 |
| Population people | 7.5 m104th/217 · 2025 | 6.1 m113th/217 · 2025 |
| Population growth % | -0.34%192nd/217 · 2025 | 1.22%85th/217 · 2025 |
| Population density people/km² | 7,165.84th/216 · 2024 | 8,329.03rd/216 · 2024 |
| Urban population % | 100.0%1st/217 · 2025 | 100.0%1st/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 0–14 % | 10.3%216th/217 · 2025 | 11.7%211th/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 65+ % | 23.7%9th/217 · 2025 | 14.2%72nd/217 · 2025 |
| Economy | ||
| GDP USD | $427.31 bn39th/210 · 2025 | $603.87 bn27th/210 · 2025 |
| GDP (PPP) intl. USD | $603.08 bn49th/199 · 2025 | $998.28 bn33rd/199 · 2025 |
| Real GDP (PPP, constant 2021 prices) intl. USD 2021 | $515.36 bn49th/199 · 2025 | $853.07 bn33rd/199 · 2025 |
| GDP per person USD | $56,98328th/210 · 2025 | $98,8148th/210 · 2025 |
| GDP per person (PPP) intl. USD | $80,42317th/199 · 2025 | $163,3541st/199 · 2025 |
| GNI per person (Atlas) USD | $62,50018th/201 · 2025 | $81,76010th/201 · 2025 |
| GDP growth % | 3.5%98th/210 · 2025 | 5.0%50th/210 · 2025 |
| Inflation % | 1.4%46th/180 · 2025 | 0.9%33rd/180 · 2025 |
| Unemployment % | 2.8%32nd/187 · 2025 | 2.8%33rd/187 · 2025 |
| Central government debt % of GDP | — | 167.8%55th/55 · 2024 |
| General government gross debt % of GDP | 12.1%10th/189 · 2025 | 165.7%187th/189 · 2025 |
| Government budget balance % of GDP | -4.5%141st/192 · 2025 | 4.2%9th/192 · 2025 |
| Main industries | ||
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing % of GDP | 0.0%195th/197 · 2024 | 0.0%196th/197 · 2025 |
| Industry incl. construction % of GDP | 6.2%194th/200 · 2024 | 22.7%107th/200 · 2025 |
| Manufacturing % of GDP | 0.9%184th/192 · 2024 | 17.4%32nd/192 · 2025 |
| Services % of GDP | 91.5%3rd/200 · 2024 | 71.6%29th/200 · 2025 |
| Trade | ||
| Exports of goods & services USD | $853.59 bn12th/182 · 2025 | $1.07 trn7th/182 · 2025 |
| Imports of goods & services USD | $841.32 bn10th/182 · 2025 | $860.24 bn9th/182 · 2025 |
| Exports % of GDP | 199.8%1st/183 · 2025 | 177.9%4th/183 · 2025 |
| Imports % of GDP | 196.9%1st/183 · 2025 | 142.5%4th/183 · 2025 |
| Trade openness % of GDP | 396.6%1st/183 · 2025 | 320.3%4th/183 · 2025 |
| Fuel exports % of merchandise exports | 0.1%136th/170 · 2025 | 9.4%50th/170 · 2025 |
| Manufactures exports % of merchandise exports | 85.7%11th/171 · 2025 | 78.2%24th/171 · 2025 |
| Food exports % of merchandise exports | 1.3%159th/171 · 2025 | 2.3%151st/171 · 2025 |
| Ores & metals exports % of merchandise exports | 2.0%105th/171 · 2025 | 0.9%138th/171 · 2025 |
| High-tech exports % of manufactured exports | 75.6%3rd/168 · 2024 | 59.4%5th/168 · 2024 |
| Current account balance % of GDP | 12.3%17th/191 · 2025 | 16.7%10th/191 · 2025 |
| Foreign direct investment, inflows % of GDP | 28.3%5th/196 · 2025 | 26.3%8th/196 · 2025 |
| Natural resources | ||
| Natural resource rents % of GDP | 0.0%183rd/209 · 2021 | 0.0%185th/209 · 2021 |
| Oil rents % of GDP | 0.00%116th/197 · 2021 | 0.00%120th/197 · 2021 |
| Natural gas rents % of GDP | 0.00%100th/197 · 2021 | 0.00%100th/197 · 2021 |
| Coal rents % of GDP | 0.00%68th/195 · 2021 | 0.00%68th/195 · 2021 |
| Mineral rents % of GDP | 0.00%91st/209 · 2021 | 0.00%91st/209 · 2021 |
| Forest rents % of GDP | 0.00%174th/209 · 2021 | 0.00%178th/209 · 2021 |
| Arable land % of land area | 1.9%171st/206 · 2024 | 0.8%188th/206 · 2024 |
| Renewable freshwater per person m³ | — | 106169th/183 · 2022 |
| Tourism | ||
| International tourist arrivals arrivals | 3.6 m49th/194 · 2020 | 2.7 m55th/194 · 2020 |
| Tourism receipts USD | $32.70 bn4th/175 · 2019 | $20.42 bn8th/175 · 2018 |
| Tourism receipts % of exports | 5.1%86th/168 · 2019 | 3.0%106th/168 · 2018 |
| Outbound trips departures | 8.3 m23rd/107 · 2020 | 1.5 m56th/107 · 2020 |
| Society & health | ||
| Life expectancy years | 85.43rd/217 · 2024 | 83.315th/217 · 2024 |
| Under-5 mortality per 1,000 births | — | 2.714th/196 · 2024 |
| Physicians per 1,000 people | 1.321995 | 2.8363rd/174 · 2022 |
| Hospital beds per 1,000 people | — | 2.865th/145 · 2023 |
| DPT immunization % of children 12–23 months | — | 97%29th/193 · 2024 |
| Completed lower secondary, 25+ % of adults | 80.6%70th/153 · 2022 | 85.3%62nd/153 · 2022 |
| Secondary enrolment % gross | 107.2%34th/173 · 2024 | 103.1%49th/173 · 2023 |
| Old-age dependency ratio % of working-age population | 35.8%14th/217 · 2025 | 19.2%75th/217 · 2025 |
| Health spending % of GDP | — | 4.5%139th/193 · 2023 |
| Adult literacy % | — | 97.7%24th/98 · 2021 |
| Tertiary enrolment % gross | 120.1%4th/150 · 2024 | 97.3%11th/150 · 2023 |
| Human Development Index index 0–1 | 0.9558th/193 · 2023 | 0.94613th/193 · 2023 |
| Infrastructure & digital | ||
| Access to electricity % of population | 100.0%1st/215 · 2024 | 100.0%1st/215 · 2024 |
| Safely managed drinking water % of population | 100.0%1st/150 · 2024 | 100.0%1st/150 · 2024 |
| Safely managed sanitation % of population | 94.8%26th/144 · 2024 | 100.0%1st/144 · 2024 |
| Internet users % of population | 95.8%23rd/186 · 2024 | 94.4%30th/186 · 2024 |
| Mobile subscriptions per 100 people | 3652nd/210 · 2024 | 17119th/210 · 2024 |
| Fixed broadband per 100 people | 40.326th/208 · 2024 | 27.869th/208 · 2024 |
| Trade & transport infrastructure quality (LPI) score 1–5 | 4.0014th/164 · 2022 | 4.601st/164 · 2022 |
| Rail lines route-km | 23082nd/82 · 2021 | — |
| Air passengers carried passengers | 25.7 m31st/161 · 2023 | 47.5 m23rd/161 · 2023 |
| Environment & energy | ||
| CO₂ emissions per person t CO₂e | 4.60146th/203 · 2024 | 9.75183rd/203 · 2024 |
| Renewable energy % of final energy use | 0.4%200th/212 · 2021 | 1.1%187th/212 · 2021 |
| Air pollution (PM2.5) µg/m³ | — | 15.185th/200 · 2023 |
| Forest area % of land area | — | 21.8%129th/214 · 2024 |
| Energy use per person kg oil eq. | 1,44378th/149 · 2024 | 5,24615th/149 · 2024 |
| Institutions & safety | ||
| Government effectiveness score 0–100 | 83.818th/205 · 2025 | 95.21st/205 · 2025 |
| Control of corruption score 0–100 | 81.115th/207 · 2025 | 87.84th/207 · 2025 |
| Rule of law score 0–100 | 74.140th/207 · 2025 | 83.218th/207 · 2025 |
| Political stability score 0–100 | 79.261st/207 · 2025 | 89.012th/207 · 2025 |
| Regulatory quality score 0–100 | 83.39th/205 · 2025 | 91.91st/205 · 2025 |
| Voice & accountability score 0–100 | 48.1130th/205 · 2025 | 54.6113th/205 · 2025 |
| Homicide rate per 100,000 | 0.49th/145 · 2023 | 0.11st/145 · 2023 |
| Military | ||
| Military expenditure USD | — | $17.44 bn22nd/156 · 2025 |
| Military expenditure % of GDP | — | 3.0%31st/156 · 2025 |
| Military expenditure % of government spending | — | 18.0%11th/154 · 2025 |
| Armed forces personnel people | — | 59,00065th/170 · 2020 |
| Armed forces personnel % of labour force | — | 1.72%34th/168 · 2020 |
| Arms imports (SIPRI TIV) TIV | — | 57.0 m60th/163 · 2025 |
| Arms exports (SIPRI TIV) TIV | — | 79.0 m30th/65 · 2025 |
| Science & innovation | ||
| R&D spending % of GDP | 1.13%37th/110 · 2024 | 1.81%23rd/110 · 2022 |
| Patent applications by residents applications | 49544th/137 · 2024 | 1,89820th/137 · 2024 |
| Scientific articles articles | — | 11,89439th/197 · 2023 |
Questions and answers
Which has more people, Hong Kong or Singapore?
Hong Kong has the larger population: 7.5 m (2025) compared with 6.1 m for Singapore (2025). Source: World Bank, SP.POP.TOTL.
Which is bigger by area, Hong Kong or Singapore?
Hong Kong is larger: 1,110 km² (2024) compared with 736 km² for Singapore (2024). Source: World Bank, AG.SRF.TOTL.K2.
Which economy is larger, Hong Kong or Singapore?
Singapore has the larger economy at purchasing power parity: $998.28 bn intl. (2025) compared with $603.08 bn intl. for Hong Kong (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.MKTP.PP.CD.
Which is richer per person, Hong Kong or Singapore?
Singapore has the higher GDP per person (PPP): $163,354 intl. (2025) compared with $80,423 intl. for Hong Kong (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD.
Where do people live longer, in Hong Kong or Singapore?
Hong Kong has the higher life expectancy at birth: 85.4 years (2024) compared with 83.3 years for Singapore (2024). Source: World Bank, SP.DYN.LE00.IN.
Which ranks higher in the NationsTree Index, Hong Kong or Singapore?
Hong Kong: 84.3 points (2nd in the world); Singapore: 82.1 points (3rd). The index combines foundations, economic strength, quality of life, problems and 5-year direction from public statistics.
Myanmar
New Zealand
Philippines
Malaysia
VietnamSources
World Bank World Development Indicators and Worldwide Governance Indicators, compiling UN agencies, the IMF, WHO, SIPRI and national statistical offices; every row links to its world ranking with the source series. See Sources & licences and Methodology.
Cite as: NationsTree (2026). Hong Kong vs Singapore — country comparison. https://nationstree.org/compare/hong-kong-vs-singapore. Data as of 26 October 2026.