Singapore has about 4.5 million people, including citizens, permanent residents and foreigners on short-term permits. The three largest ethnic groups are Chinese, Malays and Indians; it is estimated by some sources that they constitute about 75%, 14% and 9% respectively of the entire population. There is a fairly large expatriate population because many of them are either sent in by multinational organisations or come to Singapore to work as it welcomes foreign talents who can contribute to the well-being of Singapore.
As Singapore had a tiny population population of around 1,000 before Stamford Raffles came to Singapore in the early 1800s, most of the current inhabitants are descendents of people who came from elsewhere.
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