The Population of Singapore (Third Edition)

Appendix

337 Appendix Sources of Demographic Statistics IntroductIon Since the establishment of Singapore in 1819, there has accumulated over the years a mass of population statistics collected in censuses held from time to time. A brief survey of the sources, methods of collection and reliability of these statistics is presented here. The census records can be conveniently divided into three periods, namely, 1824–70, 1871–1947 and 1957–90. The first pertains to the period when some form of census was undertaken, usually by the police at very short irregular intervals, and the second and third to the time when proper and systematic censuses by trained enumerators were taken at regular and longer intervals. The third period is differentiated from the second by the censuses conducted separately for Singapore and not as part of the pan-Malayan region. By and large, the census records for the second and third periods are by far more comprehensive and reliable than those for the first period. Apart from this, the original published results of the censuses taken in the last two periods are still available but those of the censuses taken prior to 1871 are apparently lost; what is left are the figures quoted by various writers in their published works. the 1824–70 PerIod The taking of a census of the population in Singapore dates as far back as January 1824 when the first census of the whole island was carried out. Besides the figures quoted by various writers subsequently, nothing is known about this first population count. Following this, many other counts were taken, at first every year and then at longer intervals. T.J. Newbold, writing about the population 338 POPULATION OF SINGAPORE of Singapore in 1839, was able to collect the figures of eleven censuses taken annually between 1824 and 1836, except in 1835 when no census was taken.1 The figures are classified by sex and race only, and they are rather defective. H. Marriott was of the opinion that the “figures for these early censuses cannot, however, be regarded as very accurate. In 1833… they were collected by the two constables who were attached to the Settlement and who had many other duties to perform. No fixed principle was adopted with regard to the headings ‘Europeans’, ‘Native Christians’ and ‘Tndo-Britons’. Some enumerating officers appeared to have included as ‘Europeans’ all who wore European clothes”.2 During the two-and-a-half decades between the eleventh census of 1836 and the end of this period, only three censuses were held. The figures of these three censuses of 1840, 1849 and 1860 were collected by T. Braddell in his valuable work on Statistics of the British Possession in the Straits of Malacca, giving the breakdown of sex and race only.3 These figures were later quoted by Marriott in his study of the peoples of Singapore published in 1921. Very little is known of these three censuses except that, according to Marriott, the 1860 census was conducted by the police and, in his opinion, the figures of this particular census were absolutely unreliable.4 Again, the 1871 Census Committee has this to say about the 1860 census: “We are inclined to agree with the statement made by Sir Harry Ord in his despatch to the Secretary of State on the 27 August, 1869, that no great reliance can be placed upon the returns of population stated to have taken in that year (1860), so that for any purpose of comparison now, they are of little or no value. There is a remarkable increase in the number of Malays, for which no adequate reason can be offered: the influx to the Settlement of 8,362 since 1860, is scarcely probable, while the Chinese race would appear to have increased by only 4,529 in the eleven years, which is still more improbable when the large increase in Excise forms since 1860 is taken into consideration. These discrepancies would tend greatly to show that the returns of 1860 are altogether unreliable”.5 Apart from being somewhat inaccurate, the population statistics collected in these early censuses only included the bare characteristics of sex and race. Information on other characteristics normally collected in a population census of today is unobtainable. These early population counts, though of considerable historical interest, poses very limited value in terms of demographic analysis. the 1871–1947 PerIod Following the transfer of the settlement of Singapore from the India Office to the Colonial Office on 15 April 1867, the...