Who runs local government in Singapore?
Singapore has no elected local government: the national government runs the whole city-state. Two kinds of local body sit in between. Town councils, run by the elected Members of Parliament for each area, manage public housing estates, and the People's Association, a government statutory board, runs a large network of grassroots committees whose advisers it appoints.
Republic of Singapore · Unitary parliamentary republic (city-state) · South-eastern Asia
The levels of government below the nation
| Level | How it is chosen | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Town councils (19 after the 2025 general election) | Chaired and led by the elected MPs for the constituencies covered; MPs appoint residents as councillors | Maintain common areas of Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates and collect service and conservancy charges under the Town Councils Act 1988. |
| Community Development Councils (5 districts) | Each led by a mayor who is a governing-party MP, appointed under the People's Association | Local assistance schemes, community programmes and job help. |
| People's Association grassroots organisations | Volunteer members, advised by Grassroots Advisers appointed by the PA | Citizens' Consultative Committees, Residents' Committees, Neighbourhood Committees and Residents' Networks link residents and government. |
Three questions about local power in Singapore
Are local leaders elected?
Only MPs are elected, but because town councils are led by MPs, a constituency election also decides who manages the estate. CDC mayors, Grassroots Advisers and grassroots committee members are appointed or volunteer.
Which laws set up local government?
Town councils (Town Councils Act) and the PA (People's Association Act) are created by statute. Grassroots committees are formal parts of the PA. There is no constitutional provision for local government.
Who are local leaders accountable to?
Town councils answer to voters at general elections and to the Ministry of National Development, which can audit them. Grassroots bodies answer to the PA and the government, not to residents' votes.
Traditional and customary authority
There is no traditional chiefly authority. Religion is regulated by the state: the Islamic Religious Council (MUIS) is a statutory board that advises on Muslim affairs and runs mosques, and the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act limits religious involvement in politics. Clan and dialect associations once played a big welfare role among Chinese Singaporeans but now have a mainly social and cultural role.
Community and neighbourhood power
Residents' Committees (RCs, since 1978) cover HDB precincts, Neighbourhood Committees cover private estates, and Residents' Networks (since 2018) cover mixed zones. People join by volunteering or through the Residents Nomination Scheme, but these committees are part of the People's Association, which is chaired by the Prime Minister. The PA says its Grassroots Advisers must be able to share 'the Government of the day's vision', so in constituencies won by the opposition the grassroots advisers are not the elected opposition MPs.
Points to know
- After the 2025 general election, 17 town councils were run by People's Action Party MPs and 2 (Aljunied–Hougang and Sengkang) by Workers' Party MPs.
- Jalan Kayu became the first town council for a single-member constituency since 2011.
- The PA describes its own job as being 'the bridge between the Government and the people'.
- CDC mayors hold their posts alongside being MPs; the post is not separately elected.
Local terms
- Town council
- A body led by local MPs that manages public housing estates.
- People's Association (PA)
- A government statutory board that runs grassroots organisations and community clubs.
- Grassroots Adviser
- A person appointed by the PA to guide the grassroots bodies in a constituency.
Sources
- Constitution of Singapore 1963 (rev. 2016) (English text), Constitute Project, checked 14 October 2026
- The Local Government System in Singapore: Country Profile 2017–18, Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF), checked 14 October 2026
- Town Councils Act 1988, Singapore Statutes Online, Attorney-General's Chambers, checked 14 October 2026
- Formation of Town Councils (May 2025), Ministry of National Development, Singapore, checked 14 October 2026
- Grassroots Organisations: Residents' Committees, Residents' Networks and Grassroots Advisers, People's Association, Singapore, checked 14 October 2026
- Community Development Councils, CDCs, People's Association, Singapore, checked 14 October 2026
See also: Singapore's official statistics and leaders · the 10 levels of power.