Average Size of HDB Flats

The average size of Housing Department Board (HDB) flats in Singapore is reported to have dropped from  1130 sq ft in the 1980s to 969 sq ft in 2012.

On the contrary, HDB claims that this issue is not true and that the average area has remain unchanged. In fact, they said that the average area and living space per person has instead increased.

When you look at the figure above, it may seem that what HDB said is true. However, the trick is in the drastic increase of flat price. HDB flat prices have skyrocketed to te amount that is not proportionate to the rise in income of low to middle class families. In other words, for the amount of money Singaporeans pay to own a 3-bedroom apartment now, they could have bought private property of much larger size in the past. This means that the living space for each individual has become smaller in proportion to the amount paid.

Conclusion:

In Singapore, the reason why living space is getting smaller is due to the increase in land price. People cannot afford to buy larger apartments. So, we need living spaces which makes use of minimal land area.