Lowest CVD prevalence and mortality rate

Singapore has demonstrated impressive progress in CVD prevention and management. In 2021, age-standardised prevalence rate of CVDs stood at 4,579.5 per 100,000 population and age-standardised mortality rate stood at 75.8 per 100,000—both the lowest in the ASEAN region and below the global average. The country recorded a 19.8% reduction in age‑standardised prevalence rate and a 72.4% decrease in age‑standardised CVD mortality from 1990 to 2021. However, driven by an ageing population and lifestyle shift, the number of CVD cases has increased by nearly 200% in the last 30 years. In 2021, over 385,000 people in Singapore were affected by CVD.

Tobacco control: Regional leadership in reducing smoking

Singapore has recorded one of the lowest smoking prevalence rates in ASEAN. In 2021, the age‑standardised smoking prevalence among males aged 15 and above was 20.2%, significantly lower than the ASEAN average of 48.4%. Among females, prevalence stood at 6.56%, which is higher than the regional female average of 4.47%, and ranked the fourth highest in the region.

Since 1990, Singapore has achieved notable reductions:

Low injury mortality rate but self-harm and falls remain a concern

Singapore records the lowest overall injury mortality rate in ASEAN. The country has achieved remarkable success in reducing the burden of road injuries in the last 30 years. However, self‑harm and falls remain major public health concerns. In 2021, self‑harm accounted for 47% of all injury deaths in Singapore, with the highest burden among males aged 20–24 years, mirroring trends in other high-income countries. Youth and young adults are especially prone to self-harm.

With Singapore’s rapidly ageing population where one in four Singaporean citizens will be aged 65 and above by 2030, falls have emerged as a growing concern. Falls accounted for 22% of all injury deaths and were the second leading cause of injury death after self-harm. In addition to causing mortality, falls resulted in the burden of disability. Over the past 30 years, there has been limited progress in reducing this burden, particularly among women.

Mental Health: A growing priority

Mental health conditions are among the top five disease burdens in Singapore. In 2021, the age-standardised prevalence of mental disorders was estimated at 12.8% among males and 11.7% among females. Anxiety and depressive disorders were the most common, affecting approximately 185,000 and 144,000 individuals respectively.

Mental disorders exerted a disproportionately high burden of health among youth aged 10–14 years. Moreover, consistent with regional trends, an ageing population is contributing to a rising number of mental disorder cases.

A call for holistic public health action

The findings from this special series reinforce Singapore’s notable achievements in public health while underscoring the need for renewed focus in key areas—including injury prevention, mental health support, cardiovascular risk reduction, and tobacco control amid emerging challenges.

With an ageing population, burden of CVD, mental disorders, and falls will remain key health challenges in Singapore requiring thoughtful, long-term strategies. At the same time, younger generations are navigating unprecedented social and technological shifts that threaten their mental health and well-being, and increase their vulnerability to self-harm. A holistic, life-course approach to health promotion, disease prevention, and mental well-being will be critical to sustaining and improving the nation’s health outcomes,” added A/Prof Marie Ng.

This research is part of the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington. The GBD is the most comprehensive assessment of health, which includes granular estimates of burden across all age groups, sexes, and locations, as well as risk factors for 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2021. The findings from this special ASEAN series was based on an analysis of data from 1990 to 2021 by age, sex, and location across all ASEAN countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.