JAKARTA - Cases of kidney disease are now increasing in the Singaporean community. Along with this increase, Singapore is now also ranked fourth in the world in terms of prevalence, or the number of recorded cases of kidney failure.
Projections also show that by 2035 one in four Singaporeans is expected to live with chronic kidney disease (CKD).
This increase is striking, compared to other major chronic diseases. The National Population Health Survey (NPHS) 2024 recorded the prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol as relatively stable or even decreasing.
However, the prevalence of chronic kidney disease jumped sharply from 8.7 percent in 2019-2020 to 14.9 percent in 2023-2024. This sharp increase is said to be related to the increasing number of people who have tested after the COVID-19 pandemic.
"This sharp increase is likely due to the increasing number of blood and urine tests that were continued after the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the encouragement from public health agencies to conduct early screening for chronic kidney disease in high-risk patients," said Adjunct Associate Professor Dr Chua Horng Ruey, Head of the Division of Nephrology at National University Hospital (NUH), quoted from CNA, on Monday, December 15, 2025.
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Thus, currently Singapore has more than 9 thousand dialysis patients, about 60 percent of whom receive subsidized services through the National Kidney Foundation (NKF).
The increase in the prevalence of kidney disease in Singapore is closely related to major chronic diseases such as diabetes. It is recorded that Singapore is the third in the world for kidney failure due to diabetes.
In addition, an aging population and high rates of cardiovascular disease also expand the group of people who are vulnerable to chronic kidney disease, so that cases are increasing.
Many Singaporeans also consume foods high in sodium from added salt, sauces, and processed foods. This eating pattern increases blood pressure and further burdens the kidneys.
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