Time required to start a business in Singapore
Singapore: Time required to start a business was 1.5 days in 2019. ◆ Volatile
Time required to start a business in Singapore, 2003–2019
Source: Doing Business project, World Bank (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in days.
Analysis
The most recent figure for time required to start a business in Singapore is 1.5 days, measured in 2019. That is the lowest value across all 17 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 40.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, time required to start a business in Singapore peaked at 8 days in 2003 and was at its lowest, 1.5 days, in 2018.
Singapore ranks 184th of 188 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Time required to start a business in Singapore, year by year
| Year | days | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 8 days | — |
| 2004 | 8 days | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 6 days | -25.0% |
| 2006 | 6 days | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 5 days | -16.7% |
| 2008 | 3.5 days | -30.0% |
| 2009 | 2.5 days | -28.6% |
| 2010 | 2.5 days | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 2.5 days | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 2.5 days | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 2.5 days | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 2.5 days | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 2.5 days | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 2.5 days | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 2.5 days | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 1.5 days | -40.0% |
| 2019 | 1.5 days | +0.0% |
Singapore compared with similar countries
- Singapore's 1.5 days is below the median for high income countries, which is 8.5 days, 18% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Singapore's 1.5 days is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 12.8 days, 12% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5.57 days | 2.5 days | 8 days | 7 |
| 2010s | 2.3 days | 1.5 days | 2.5 days | 10 |
Countries ranked near Singapore
More reference data data for Singapore
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.008 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.0066 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.0618 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.0618 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0269 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0096 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.0378 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.2664 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Burning - Crop residues 0 (1992)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.2567 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is time required to start a business in Singapore?
- Time required to start a business in Singapore was 1.5 days in 2019, according to Doing Business project, World Bank (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest time required to start a business recorded in Singapore?
- The highest recorded value was 8 days in 2003.
- What is the lowest time required to start a business recorded in Singapore?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.5 days in 2018.
- How does Singapore rank for time required to start a business?
- Singapore ranks 184th out of 188 countries with data for 2019.
- Is time required to start a business rising or falling in Singapore?
- Over the last ten years it is down 40.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Singapore data come from?
- The figures come from Doing Business project, World Bank (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Time required to start a business. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 17 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of calendar days needed to complete the procedures to legally operate a business.