National Health Surveys Show Singaporeans are Embracing Healthier Lifestyles with a Need to Improve our Diet Quality

2. The NPHS 2025, conducted from August 2024 to July 2025, tracked the health, risk factors and lifestyle practices of Singapore residents aged 18 to 74 years. The NNS 2025, conducted from June to December 2025, monitored the dietary patterns and nutritional status of Singapore residents aged 18 to 69 years.

Results of NPHS 2025

Improvements in screening participation for chronic diseases and cancers

3. Screening participation has significantly increased for chronic diseases (62.6% in 2023, 66.4% in 2024, and colorectal cancer¹ (41.7% in 2023, 44.9% in 2024, 46.9% in 2025). Breast cancer screening participation has increased (34.7% in 2023, 35.2% in 2024, 40.8% in 2025) while cervical cancer screening participation has remained stable (45.4% in 2023, 44.9% in 2024, 47.1% in 2025). These are early and encouraging signs that Healthier SG is supporting health-seeking behaviour and the early detection and diagnosis of disease.

Significant increase in sufficient total physical activity

4. The proportion of residents engaging in sufficient total physical activity² has significantly increased from 84.7% in 2024 to 87.3% in 2025. More than one in three (37.6%) residents continue to engage in sufficient muscle-strengthening activities³ in 2025, which has remained stable since 2020.

Prevalence of daily smoking remains stable

5. The prevalence of daily smoking has remained stable at 8.8% in 2025, from 8.4% in 2024, maintaining the long-term trend of significant decrease in smoking rates from 10.6% in 2019.

Most residents willing to seek help for mental health issues

6. The prevalence of poor mental health⁴ has remained broadly stable in recent years, at 15.9% in 2025 compared to 15.4% in 2024. Younger adults aged 18 to 29 years had the highest prevalence at 25.8%.

7. The proportion of residents unable to cope with stress but willing to seek help from healthcare professionals and/or informal networks has remained stable in recent years (87.5% in 2025 vs 89.5% in 2024), maintaining the improvement in help-seeking behaviour from 82.3% in 2019.

Results of NNS 2025

8. The NNS 2025 found that sugar intake of Singapore residents has further decreased, but rising calorie, fat and sodium intake are a concern. Protein intake remains adequate for the population, but falls short of recommendations for older adults aged 50 to 69 years old. The rising trend of eating out is contributing to higher calorie, fat and sodium intake.

Sugar intake has further improved

9. Residents have consumed less sugar, particularly from sugar-sweetened drinks. The daily total sugar intake has decreased from 60g in 2018, prior to the announcement of the Nutri-Grade labelling and advertising prohibition measures for beverages, to 48g in 2025. More residents (from 61% in 2019 to 79% in 2025) are also within the daily recommended sugar limit of no more than 10% of daily total energy intake, approximately 50g or 10 teaspoons of sugar.

10. The improvements are in line with the decline in median sugar levels in beverages⁵ (from 7.1% in 2017 to 4.6% in 2024 for pre-packaged beverages, and from 7.5% in 2020 to 4.1% in 2025 for freshly prepared beverages), driven by industry reformulation and more consumers opting for lower-sugar drink options.

Calorie intake has increased, with more refined staples and fat in the diet

11. The mean calorie intake has increased from 2,360kcal in 2019 to 2,460kcal in 2025. More than half of the population (57%) have exceeded their daily recommended calorie intake after factoring in the energy requirement from physical activity⁶. Intake of refined carbohydrates⁷ has increased from 154g in 2019 to 166g in 2025. Total dietary fat intake has also increased from 94g in 2019 to 103g in 2025, with saturated fat accounting for 35% of total fat intake, exceeding the daily recommended limit of 30%.

Sodium intake continues to increase and remains above recommended levels

12. The average daily sodium intake of the population has increased from 3,480mg in 2019 to 4,000mg in 2025, a key source being salt and sauces added during cooking. Nearly all Singapore residents (95%) have exceeded the daily recommended sodium intake limit of 2,000mg (equivalent to one teaspoon of salt), an increase from 2019 (88%).

Protein intake remains adequate for the general population

13. Protein intake is largely adequate for the population, with nearly four in five (79%) Singapore residents meeting their recommended protein intake. However, one in two (55%) older adults aged 50 to 69 years old, who have higher protein requirements, fall short of the recommended protein intake⁸.

Rising trend of eating out and consumption of processed foods is driving up calorie and sodium intake

14. More residents are eating out⁹, and doing so more often, which is associated with poorer diets. In 2025, 7 in 10 residents ate out once a day (up from 6 in 10 residents in 2019). Residents ate out 9 times a week (up from 8 times a week in 2019). Those who eat out most frequently (two or more times per day) have higher calorie, saturated fat and sodium intake than those who eat out least frequently (six times or less per week).

15. Residents also continue to consume processed foods, which contribute to higher sodium intake. While added salt, sauces and seasonings in cooked foods such as soupy, gravy, and sauce-based dishes continue to be the largest contributor (60%) among those with the highest sodium intake, processed foods such as instant noodles are the second largest contributor. They account for about 15% of their total sodium intake.

Findings show that residents are adopting healthier lifestyles and consuming less sugar, with the need to watch the rising calorie, fat and sodium intake in their diets

16. Overall, the NPHS 2025 findings show encouraging signs that Singapore residents are adopting healthier lifestyles, with higher participation in physical activity and screening participation for chronic diseases, and breast and colorectal cancer since the launch of Healthier SG in 2023.

Encouraging preventive health through Healthier SG

17. Healthier SG supports residents aged 40 and above in taking proactive steps towards better health, including preventive health actions. After enrolling with their preferred Healthier SG clinic, residents can attend a fully subsidised first consultation with their Healthier SG doctor to develop a personalised Health Plan. The plan sets out their health goals and recommended actions such as health screenings, physical activity, and diet adjustments. Residents are subsequently encouraged to review their Health Plan regularly with their Healthier SG doctor during the fully subsidised annual Health Plan check-ins.

18. Eligible Singapore Citizens enrolled in Healthier SG can also receive special subsidies for Healthier SG screening tests at their enrolled Healthier SG clinic. These subsidies cover the initial screening visit, screening test(s), repeat screening visit (if required) and one post-screening follow-up consultation.

Encouraging residents to adopt healthier diets

19. Having healthier diets is key to reducing the risks of obesity and chronic diseases like hypertension and hyperlipidemia. The NNS 2025 findings highlight the need to strengthen initiatives to reduce residents’ excessive calorie, sodium and saturated fat intake for better diet quality.

20. Efforts are underway to increase the availability of healthier alternatives and help consumers make more informed choices. MOH will extend mandatory Nutri-Grade labelling measures and advertising prohibitions beyond beverages to include key contributors of sodium and saturated fat (i.e. pre-packed salt, sauces, seasonings, instant noodles, and cooking oil) by 2028. These measures will help consumers identify healthier options more easily, and encourage the industry to reformulate their products, which will increase the availability of healthier ingredients for both consumers and food and beverage (F&B) operators.

21. HPB will also make a stronger push to make healthier options more readily available in the F&B sector. An analysis of nutritional content and portion sizes of commonly consumed local dishes in F&B sector shows that popular dishes in the eat-out setting are packed with more calories and sodium in 2025 as compared to 2023. A typical portion now contains nearly 10% more calories on average and sodium content has also increased by 10%.

22. HPB will step up efforts engaging F&B operators to increase healthier, lower sodium options through the Healthier Dining Programme and the "Less Salt, More Taste" movement. This includes working with central kitchens and mass-market operators such as hawker centres, coffee shops and food courts, to encourage the adoption of healthier and lower-sodium ingredients, reduced use of salt and seasonings, and greater receptiveness to consumers’ requests for less salt, sauces and gravy. Since 22 September 2026, HPB has launched a ‘Ask for Less’ movement to encourage consumers to request less salt, sauces and gravy when dining out.

23. Residents can make more informed choices about their diet through digital tools such as the meal logging feature on HPB’s Healthy 365 mobile app. The feature helps users to check the calorie, sugar and sodium content of foods they eat and track their intake against their personalised daily limits. Complementing these initiatives, promotional activities, such as the nationwide Eat, Drink, Shop Healthy Challenge, will continue to support consumers in choosing healthier food, drinks and groceries.

Encouraging residents to lead active lifestyles

24. We will continue to use technology to support Singapore residents in leading and sustaining more active lifestyles. Healthy 365 is a free health and wellness tracking mobile application developed by HPB to encourage users to adopt a healthier lifestyle through digital offerings, gamification, nudges and rewards. Every month, about one-quarter of our adult population (close to 900,000 residents), many of whom are Healthier SG enrollees, use the Healthy 365 app. Residents use the app to track progress towards their activity goals, access healthy lifestyle activities, receive recommended resources and programmes, and earn rewards from completing tasks/challenges. MOH and Synapxe have also introduced the Health Plan Artificial Intelligence (AI) beta feature on HealthHub from 27 July 2026 to 27 January 2027. Eligible Healthier SG enrollees can use Health Plan AI to generate personalised exercise plans with suggested options to achieve the exercise goals set in their Health Plan.

25. Beyond digital efforts, HPB also supports residents through a variety of community physical activity programmes held at convenient locations across the heartlands such as open spaces, Active Ageing Centres and workplaces, catering to residents with diverse needs and fitness levels. For those who prefer to exercise independently, HealthHub provides a wealth of self-directed resources, including online exercise videos and infographics, to support residents to stay active at their own pace.

Encouraging residents to stay nicotine-free

26. We will continue our efforts to keep smoking prevalence low through a multipronged approach consisting of policy measures, public education and provision of cessation support to encourage residents to lead a nicotine-free lifestyle. Policy measures implemented include regular tax increases such as the 20% increase in tobacco excise duty in 2026, standardised packaging and point-of-sale display ban, as well as raising the minimum legal age for tobacco to 21 years. HPB’s I Quit programme is also one of the ways we support smokers and vapers in their quit journey. Subsidised nicotine replacement therapy has also been made available at public healthcare institutions since February 2023. MOH, HPB, the Health Sciences Authority, and the Ministry of Education will also continue our multi-pronged approach combining public education, rehabilitation and enforcement to reduce vaping, particularly among youths, and support those seeking to quit.

Ongoing efforts to support better mental health

27. As part of the efforts under the National Mental Health and Well-being Strategy, the government has continued to strengthen mental health support by establishing the “First Stop for Mental Health”, which provides care through a clear "no wrong door" approach. This includes the national mindline 1771, which was launched in June 2025 to provide 24/7 mental health support via call, text, and online chat.

Improving our lifestyle habits for better health

28. The NPHS and NNS 2025 findings highlight that while residents are adopting healthier lifestyles, there is a need to focus on improving our overall diet quality. Having a healthy diet, increasing physical activity, managing stress and ceasing smoking all have a direct impact in reducing the risk of chronic diseases and other health risks. Going for regular health screenings and follow-up are also necessary for early detection and appropriate intervention, to prevent or delay the onset of diseases.

29. MOH and HPB will continue efforts to support residents to live healthier lifestyles. We encourage residents to participate in the various activities and programmes available in the community, and eligible residents to enrol in Healthier SG.

30. The NPHS 2025 report is available at http://go.gov.sg/moh-nphs2025 ↗ (opens in new tab) and the NNS 2025 report is available at https://go.gov.sg/nnsreport2025 ↗ (opens in new tab)

¹ Colorectal cancer screening participation significantly increased between 2023 and 2025, but remained stable between 2024 and 2025.

² Defined as participating in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity or at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity per week across three domains: work-related activity, commuting and leisure-time physical activity (WHO 2022; WHO 2010).

³ Sufficient muscle-strengthening activities (MSA) refer to activities which involve the major muscle groups at least two days or more a week. Respondents must complete at least one set of exercises involving 8 to 12 repetitions to be counted as having done one day of MSA. Data on sufficient MSA were collected in NPHS since 2020.

⁴ Poor mental health is defined by a score of 3 or more on the 12-item General Health Questionnaire, which suggests the presence of recent psychological distress. This does not, however, necessarily indicate the presence of a mental disorder.

⁵ HPB nutrient analyses based on Nielsen Retail Sales Data

⁶ Recommended calorie intake is estimated based on individual’s age, gender, weight and level of physical activity.

⁷ This refers to foods such as white rice and white bread, which are high in starch and are poorer sources of fibre, vitamins and minerals.

⁸ Protein intake recommendation is 0.8 g/kg body weight per day for younger adults, and 1.2g/kg body weight per day for older adults 50 years and above. For an average adult (18 – 49 years old) weighing 65kg, protein requirement is 52g.

⁹ Eating out is defined as meals eaten outside the home (or delivered), from hawker centres, coffee shops, food courts, fast food and quick service restaurants, cafes, and canteens.