The State of Obesity and GLP-1 Medicines in Singapore, 2026
Singapore's own surveys, regulators and Parliament, in one place: how weight is changing, what people eat, which GLP-1 medicines are approved and for whom, and what the official data does not yet cover. Every figure links to its source.
A GetLean report. Published 7 October 2026; updated 7 October 2026. Download every figure with its source (CSV).
Public data only, each figure sourced
This report brings together figures already published by Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH), the Health Promotion Board (HPB), the Health Sciences Authority (HSA), Parliament, Sport Singapore and peer-reviewed journals. GetLean ran no survey for it and used no patient records. Each figure carries a numbered link to its source, listed at the end.
Figures are for Singapore residents unless marked otherwise. The clinical-trial results come from East Asian adults in Japan, South Korea, Thailand and China, not from Singapore.
Two cautions travel with the weight figures. The national surveys from 1992 to 2010 covered ages 18 to 69 and the surveys since cover 18 to 74, so the two series are shown separately rather than joined into one line. And the National Population Health Survey itself notes that the rise in obesity from 2010 to 2023–2024 is not statistically significant as a long-run trend; the significant rise is from 2019–2020.
Singapore in eight figures
One adult in eight is obese, and the rise since 2019 is significant
In 2023–2024, 12.7%[1] of residents aged 18 to 74 were obese when measured, against 10.5%[1] in 2019–2020. A wider group, 22.8%[1], were in the high-risk band that Singapore uses for Asian adults, BMI 27.5 or above. Only 53.6%[1] were at a normal weight.
| Survey | Obese (BMI 30+) | High-risk BMI (27.5+) |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 10.5% | 22.7% |
| 2013 | 8.6% | 17.6% |
| 2017 | 8.6% | 18.7% |
| 2019–20 | 10.5% | 20.7% |
| 2021–22 | 11.6% | 22.3% |
| 2023–24 | 12.7% | 22.8% |
The longer record, from the 1992–2010 surveys of residents aged 18 to 69, shows obesity more than doubling: 5.1%[4] in 1992, 6.0%[4] in 1998, 6.9%[4] in 2004 and 10.8%[4] in 2010.
By ethnicity, the gap is wide. Obesity in Malay residents rose from 23.9%[1] in 2019–2020 to 31.7%[1] in 2023–2024.
| 2023–2024 | Obese | High-risk BMI | Abdominal obesity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malay | 31.7% | 46.4% | 63.1% |
| Indian | 19.3% | 35.4% | 63.1% |
| Chinese | 8.4% | 16.8% | 37.7% |
| All residents | 12.7% | 22.8% | 43.6% |
By age, obesity peaks at 14.9%[1] among adults in their thirties. The sharpest rise is in the youngest group: adults aged 18 to 29 went from 6.6%[1] to 11.6%[1] between 2019–2020 and 2023–2024.
Diabetes was found in 9.1%[1] of residents aged 18 to 74, and 16.5%[1] of those with it had not been diagnosed before the survey.
Children. Among Primary One children, 9.4%[2] were overweight or severely overweight in 2025, against a recent high of 13.4%[2] in 2021, a year measured on four months of data.
The burden. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation ranks overweight and obesity 2nd[3] among the risk factors behind Singapore’s disease burden, after high blood sugar, and projects that 63%[3] of adults will be living with overweight or obesity by 2050. That projection uses the international cut-off of BMI 25, not Singapore’s Asian bands.
More calories, more meals out, more salt
The National Nutrition Survey 2025, published on 3 October 2026, found average daily energy intake at 2,460 kcal[5], up from 2,360 kcal[5] in 2019. 57%[6] of residents eat more than their recommended calories once physical activity is allowed for. Fat intake rose to 103 g[6], with saturated fat at 35%[6] of it. Sodium reached 4,000 mg[6] a day, and 95%[6] of residents are over the limit.
Sugar is the exception: 60 g[5] a day in 2018, before the Nutri-Grade drink measures were announced, and 48 g[5] in 2025.
Eating out is now the norm. 66%[5] of adults eat out at least once a day, up from 60%[5] in 2019, and the median is 9[5] meals out a week. Adults who eat out twice a day or more take in 2,682 kcal[5] a day, against 2,261 kcal[5] for those who eat out six times a week or fewer. HPB’s own analysis found a typical portion of popular eat-out dishes carried nearly 10%[6] more calories in 2025 than in 2023.
| Dish | Serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Steamed chicken rice | 1 plate, 346 g | 475 kcal[7] |
| Roasted chicken rice | 1 plate, 363 g | 643 kcal[7] |
| Char kway teow | 1 plate, 480 g | 974 kcal[7] |
| Laksa | 1 bowl, 604 g | 417 kcal[7] |
| Mee goreng | 1 plate, 465 g | 828 kcal[7] |
| Hokkien mee | 1 plate, 549 g | 814 kcal[7] |
| Nasi goreng | 1 plate, 485 g | 742 kcal[7] |
| Lor mee | 1 bowl, 716 g | 666 kcal[7] |
| Bak chor mee (dry) | 1 bowl, 430 g | 538 kcal[7] |
| Fishball noodles (soup) | 1 bowl, 798 g | 511 kcal[7] |
| Plain prata | 1 piece, 71 g | 246 kcal[7] |
| Mala xiang guo (dry) | 1 plate, 719 g | 1,165 kcal[7] |
| Kopi (with condensed and evaporated milk) | 1 regular cup, 250 ml | 193 kcal[7] |
| Pearl milk tea | 1 medium cup, 500 ml | 375 kcal[7] |
Activity looks better on paper than in practice. 87.3%[8] of residents met the guideline for total physical activity in 2025, up from a low of 74.9%[1] in 2022. But 55.0%[8] of that activity came from commuting and only 25.9%[8] from exercise in leisure time. 37.6%[8] did enough muscle-strengthening activity. Sport Singapore counts 76%[9] of residents aged 13 and over playing sport or exercising at least once a week.
What is approved in Singapore, and for whom
GLP-1 medicines are prescription-only in Singapore. In March 2023, MOH told Parliament that 2 of 3[11] GLP-1 drugs approved for diabetes were also approved for obesity management. HSA’s September 2023 safety alert counted 8[10] GLP-1 products registered in Singapore.
For adults, the registered weight-management indication for semaglutide 2.4 mg starts at BMI 30, or 27 with a weight-related condition[15], as an addition to a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity.
| Date | HSA approval |
|---|---|
| 18 June 2025[12] | Tirzepatide pre-filled pens, with a weight-management indication alongside type 2 diabetes |
| 10 October 2025[13] | Tirzepatide vials, same indications |
| 23 June 2026[14] | A variation to semaglutide 2.4 mg whose indications cover adolescents aged 12 and over and reducing major cardiovascular events |
| 20 August 2026[14] | A generic liraglutide pre-filled pen |
| 26 August 2026[14] | Semaglutide 2.4 mg for MASH, a fatty-liver disease, with moderate to advanced fibrosis |
Trials in Asian adults. The four trials below enrolled East Asian adults only; their average results are given as published. They are trial averages under trial conditions, with diet and activity support, not a prediction for any one person.
| Trial | Result |
|---|---|
| STEP 6 (Japan and South Korea, 401 adults, 68 weeks): average weight change on semaglutide 2.4 mg vs placebo | −13.2% vs −2.1%[16] |
| STEP 11 (South Korea and Thailand, 150 adults with BMI 25 or above, 44 weeks): average weight change on semaglutide 2.4 mg vs placebo | −16.0% vs −3.1%[17] |
| SURMOUNT-CN (China, 210 adults, 52 weeks): average weight change on tirzepatide 10 mg and 15 mg vs placebo | −13.6% and −17.5% vs −2.3%[18] |
| SURMOUNT-J (Japan, 267 adults, 72 weeks): difference from placebo in average weight change on tirzepatide 10 mg and 15 mg | −16.1% and −21.1%[19] |
In September 2023 HSA said it was assessing a possible risk of suicidal thoughts and self-harm with GLP-1 medicines, following a European review, and that it had received 0[10] local reports of either up to then.
Prescription-only, and policed online
GLP-1 medicines can only be dispensed by a registered doctor or a licensed retail pharmacy against a valid prescription, and may not be advertised or sold on local online platforms. From 2022 to September 2024, HSA investigated 16[20] cases of unauthorised sale or illegal advertising and had 82[20] online listings removed.
On 25 September 2026[21] HSA warned that it had received reports of serious adverse effects, including anaphylaxis and severe vomiting requiring hospitalisation, from people buying prescription medicines, GLP-1 medicines among them, and unapproved injectable peptides for weight loss through unauthorised channels. It also warned that two injectable peptides sold online, retatrutide and cagrilintide, have not been approved as medicines by any regulator.
Online care is licensed. Doctors may consult remotely under the Healthcare Services Act. In April 2024 MOH told Parliament that 19[22] licensed telemedicine providers operated with no physical premises.
Not on the subsidy lists
MOH’s list of subsidised drugs, which sets subsidies at public hospitals, specialist clinics and polyclinics, carries 1[23] GLP-1 medicine: dulaglutide, for type 2 diabetes. No GLP-1 medicine is listed for weight management. MediSave can be used for outpatient care of 23[24] chronic conditions, and obesity is not one of them.
What Singapore searched for
Google Trends measures search interest on a relative scale of 0 to 100, not as a count of searches. These figures compare the average of the latest 52 weeks with the 52 weeks before, for searches made in Singapore.
What Singapore does not publish
How many people take GLP-1 medicines. A search of Parliament’s records for GLP-1 and the medicines’ names finds 3[26] questions, from 2023 and 2024. None of the answers gives a number of patients, in public or private care, or what is spent on these medicines.
How long people sleep, and how long they sit. The National Population Health Survey 2025 asks both questions, but its report publishes no result for either[8].
What obesity costs Singapore as a whole. The only published estimate covers adults aged 40 to 80: S$261 million[27] a year, from a survey of adults in south-west Singapore.
Each of these was checked twice, by different methods: Parliament’s own search and MOH’s published answers; the survey report’s contents pages and its full text; and a PubMed search alongside a general one.
How this report was made
Each figure was read from the primary source: the survey report, the regulator’s page, the parliamentary answer or the trial abstract. Figures that could only be found quoted elsewhere were left out. Numbers are given as the source published them, with its rounding. Where a press release and its report differ, the report is used.
The next measured obesity figure will come with the National Population Health Survey 2026; the 2025 survey had no health examination. This page will be updated then and when HSA’s approvals change. To report an error, use the contact page.
Citations welcome
GetLean (2026). The State of Obesity and GLP-1 Medicines in Singapore, 2026. https://www.getleanclinic.sg/reports/obesity-glp-1-singapore
The full table of figures, each with its publisher, date, link and the place in the source where it appears, is available as a CSV file. Please link to this page as the source.
Sources
- Ministry of Health and Health Promotion Board. National Population Health Survey 2024. 17 October 2025. moh.gov.sg
- Health Promotion Board, via data.gov.sg (Singapore Department of Statistics). Overweight and severely overweight (obesity) prevalence among Primary One children, annual. 20 May 2026. data.gov.sg
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. The State of Singapore's Health (GBD 2021 country factsheet). June 2025. healthdata.org
- Ministry of Health, Epidemiology and Disease Control Division. National Health Survey 2010. 2011. isomer-user-content.by.gov.sg
- Health Promotion Board. National Nutrition Survey 2025. 3 October 2026. file.go.gov.sg
- Ministry of Health and Health Promotion Board. National health surveys show Singaporeans are embracing healthier lifestyles, with a need to improve our diet quality (press release). 3 October 2026. moh.gov.sg
- Health Promotion Board. Singapore Food Insights Database (SG FoodID), food search records. 26 March 2026. pphtpc.hpb.gov.sg
- Ministry of Health and Health Promotion Board. National Population Health Survey 2025. 3 October 2026. moh.gov.sg
- Sport Singapore, via data.gov.sg. Sport and Exercise Participation Level, Overall (National Sports Participation Survey). 2026. data.gov.sg
- Health Sciences Authority. HSA is assessing the potential risk of suicidal thoughts and self-harm with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA). 21 September 2023. hsa.gov.sg
- Ministry of Health. GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs approved for treatment of diabetes and obesity (written answer, Parliament). 20 March 2023. moh.gov.sg
- Health Sciences Authority. New drug approvals, June 2025. June 2025. hsa.gov.sg
- Health Sciences Authority. New drug approvals, October 2025. October 2025. hsa.gov.sg
- Health Sciences Authority. Listing of approvals (major variations and generic drug approvals, 2026). 30 September 2026. hsa.gov.sg
- Ministry of Health, National Drug Formulary. National Drug Formulary product information: semaglutide 2.4 mg pre-filled pen (SIN16748P). 16 September 2026. ndf.gov.sg
- PubMed (PMID 35131037). Kadowaki T et al. Semaglutide once a week in adults with overweight or obesity, with or without type 2 diabetes, in an east Asian population (STEP 6). Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2022. Funded by Novo Nordisk. March 2022. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- PubMed (PMID 40825340). Lim S et al. Semaglutide 2.4 mg in Asian adults with a body-mass index of 25 or more (STEP 11). Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2025. Funded by Novo Nordisk. October 2025. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- PubMed (PMID 38819983). Zhao L et al. Tirzepatide for weight reduction in Chinese adults with obesity (SURMOUNT-CN). JAMA 2024. Funded by Eli Lilly. August 2024. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- PubMed (PMID 40031941). Kadowaki T et al. Tirzepatide in Japanese adults with obesity disease (SURMOUNT-J). Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2025. Funded by Eli Lilly. May 2025. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Ministry of Health. Cases of unauthorised sale of drugs for treatment of diabetes and obesity (written answer, Parliament). 10 September 2024. moh.gov.sg
- Health Sciences Authority. Risks of obtaining prescription medicines and unapproved injectable peptides through unauthorised channels. 25 September 2026. hsa.gov.sg
- Ministry of Health. Telemedicine services (oral answer, Parliament). 3 April 2024. moh.gov.sg
- Ministry of Health. List of subsidised drugs (as of 1 September 2026). 31 August 2026. moh.gov.sg
- Ministry of Health. MediSave: outpatient care. 1 June 2026. moh.gov.sg
- Google Trends. Google Trends, Singapore, web search: semaglutide, tirzepatide and GLP-1, past five years (pulled 7 October 2026, 11:22 UTC). 7 October 2026. trends.google.com
- Parliament of Singapore. Parliament of Singapore, Official Reports (Hansard): keyword search for GLP-1, semaglutide and tirzepatide, all Parliaments, searched 7 October 2026. 7 October 2026. sprs.parl.gov.sg
- PubMed (PMID 36113947). Junxing C et al. Economic burden of excess weight among older adults in Singapore: a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open 2022. September 2022. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
This report compiles published public data for general information. It is not medical advice. GetLean is a doctor-led online clinic licensed by Singapore’s Ministry of Health. About GetLean. 101 figures from 27 sources.