Market Research Companies in Singapore

Key figures for researchers

Population

6.21 million (June 2026)¹

Residents / non-residents

4.23 million / 1.98 million (June 2026)¹

Residents by ethnic group

Chinese 73.9%, Malay 13.5%, Indian 9.0%, others 3.6% (2026)¹

Median age of residents

43.6 years (2026)¹

Language most spoken at home

English 48.3%, Mandarin 29.9%, Malay 9.2%, Chinese dialects 8.7%, Tamil 2.5% (2020 census)²

Resident households

1.49 million, 3.06 people on average; 77.2% in HDB flats (2025)³

Internet users

94% of individuals (2024)⁴

Mobile subscriptions

171 per 100 people (2024)⁵

GDP per capita

about US$98,800 (2025)⁶

Research guide

Research landscape

Singapore is one of the main market research hubs for Southeast Asia: many regional offices of international research networks and independent agencies are based there, and a large share of studies run from Singapore cover several countries of the region at once. For local consumer studies, remember that the city-state is small and dense, so fieldwork logistics are simple, but the population is diverse in language, ethnicity and housing.

Languages and fieldwork

English is the language most frequently spoken at home by 48.3% of residents aged 5 and over, followed by Mandarin (29.9%), Malay (9.2%), Chinese dialects (8.7%) and Tamil (2.5%). Questionnaires are usually written in English, with Chinese, Malay and Tamil versions offered for the general public, especially for older respondents. B2B and executive interviews are almost always conducted in English. Literacy is high: 97.1% of residents aged 15 and over are literate.

A representative resident sample usually sets quotas by ethnic group (73.9% Chinese, 13.5% Malay, 9.0% Indian, 3.6% others), age, gender and housing type, which is a common proxy for income: 77.2% of resident households live in HDB (public housing) flats, the rest mainly in condominiums and landed property. Decide early whether non-residents (1.98 million of the 6.21 million inhabitants) are part of the target, as they are often excluded from “resident” samples.

Which methods work

Connectivity is very high: 94% of individuals use the internet and there are about 171 mobile subscriptions per 100 people. Online surveys and online panels are the standard method for most consumer and B2B targets, and mobile-friendly questionnaires are essential.

Telephone interviews (CATI) remain useful for B2B and hard-to-reach targets, but must respect the Do Not Call rules (see below). Face-to-face interviews, including intercepts in malls and HDB estates, help reach older residents and check online results. Focus groups and in-depth interviews are easy to organise in dedicated facilities, and groups are often split by language or community.

Timing

Fieldwork slows around the main festivals of each community: Chinese New Year (January or February), Hari Raya Puasa at the end of Ramadan (in 2027, Ramadan runs through February into early March), Hari Raya Haji, Deepavali (October or November) and Christmas. In 2027, Chinese New Year falls on 6–7 February, Hari Raya Puasa on 10 March and Deepavali on 28 October.

School holidays change family routines and availability: in 2027 they run in mid-March, from late May to late June, in early September and from late November to the end of December. The year-end period, with Christmas and many people on leave, is also a slow time for B2B interviews.

Data protection

Personal data is governed by the Personal Data Protection Act 2012 (PDPA), enforced by the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC). Organisations must notify respondents of the purpose and obtain their consent, appoint a data protection officer, and ensure that data transferred outside Singapore receives a comparable standard of protection. Data breaches affecting 500 or more people, or likely to cause significant harm, must be notified to the PDPC within 72 hours of assessing them, and since 1 October 2022 fines can reach 10% of annual turnover in Singapore (for turnover above S$10 million) or S$1 million.

The Do Not Call (DNC) Registry covers voice calls, text messages and faxes that promote goods or services. According to the PDPC guidelines, a message whose sole purpose is market research is excluded, and a small thank-you gift does not change this, but adding any promotion turns it into a marketing message subject to DNC checks. Be cautious: ask your agency how sample lists were obtained and how consent and DNC rules are handled.

Working with a local agency

• Share a clear brief: objectives, target (residents only or including non-residents), sample size, method, languages and deadline.
• Agree on quotas by ethnic group, age, gender and housing type before fieldwork starts.
• For regional studies, ask which countries the agency covers with its own teams and which are subcontracted.
• Ask about quality control: panel recruitment and data cleaning, back-checks, supervision of CATI calls.
• Check PDPA compliance: consent wording, Do Not Call rules for telephone or SMS contact, data security and transfer of data abroad.
• Compare several proposals: you can send one request to up to 5 companies from this page.