Jurong West is a new town in western Singapore. It is predominantly a residential town comprising public-housing estates, neighbourhood centres, schools, healthcare institutions, community facilities, parks and transport infrastructure. The area's development as a residential district dates from the expansion of public housing in western Singapore during the 1960s.
The development of Jurong West as a large-scale new town accelerated during the 1980s. In 1986, The Straits Times reported plans for Jurong West to be substantially expanded, reflecting the Housing and Development Board's continuing development of the town.
The town's earlier public-housing estates included flats developed outside HDB's direct administration. In 1979, responsibility for a number of Jurong flats was transferred from the Jurong Town Corporation to the Housing and Development Board, bringing the flats into HDB's public-housing administration.
Etymology
The name Jurong predates the modern new town and was used for the surrounding western district before the development of Jurong West as a residential town. The residential development subsequently adopted the name Jurong West as the area developed into a large public-housing town.
Town development
Jurong West developed progressively as successive public-housing precincts were constructed. The expansion of the town during the 1980s was accompanied by the provision of new residential blocks and supporting facilities, transforming the area from an earlier low-density settlement into a major residential district.
The town's neighbourhoods were subsequently supported by schools, markets, shops and other community facilities. By the 1990s, Jurong West had developed a substantial network of local amenities alongside its expanding housing estates.
Geography
Jurong West is a primarily residential town situated west of Tengah New Town in the western part of Singapore, under the West Region as defined by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).
The town is bordered to the north by the Pan Island Expressway (PIE), to the east by Sungei Jurong (Jurong River) and Jurong Lake, to the south by the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE), and to the west by Benoi Road and Upper Jurong Road. Jurong West Town Centre is located in Jurong West Central. An industrial area, part of the Jurong Industrial Estate, is located south of Boon Lay Way and Upper Jurong Road. Another industrial area is currently under development in Wenya as part of the Jurong Innovation District.
Subzones Jurong West New Town is divided into the following nine subzones. Boon Lay Chin Bee Hong Kah Jurong West Central Kian Teck Safti Taman Jurong Wenya Yunnan
Demographics As of 2026, the most populous subzone in Jurong West is Yunnan with 64,680 residents, closely followed by Jurong West Central with 60,100 residents, while Chin Bee, Kian Teck and Safti are completely unpopulated. Packed into an area of , of which are designated as residential areas, Jurong West has a population density of 25,700 people per km2.
Population history
Age profile
The data below is from the population report published by the Singapore Department of Statistics as of June 2026.
Age group (years) Males Females Totalpopulation % of totalpopulation 0–4 3,920 3,540 7,460 2.97 5–9 5,290 5,000 10,290 4.10 10–14 6,510 6,140 12,650 5.04 15–19 7,280 7,140 14,420 5.75 20–24 7,800 7,410 15,210 6.06 25–29 8,870 8,340 17,210 6.86 30–34 8,860 8,570 17,430 6.95 35–39 8,200 8,890 17,090 6.81 40–44 8,210 9,360 17,570 7.00 45–49 9,170 9,930 19,100 7.61 50–54 9,790 9,680 19,470 7.76 55–59 9,380 9,250 18,630 7.43 60–64 9,410 8,820 18,230 7.27 65–69 8,220 8,120 16,340 6.51 70–74 6,850 6,950 13,800 5.50 75–79 4,390 4,670 9,060 3.61 80–84 1,670 2,060 3,730 1.49 85–89 900 1,320 2,200 0.88 90+ 310 680 990 0.39 Age group (years) Males Females Totalpopulation % of totalpopulation 0–14 15,720 14,680 30,400 12.6 15–64 86,970 87,390 174,360 69.5 65+ 22,340 23,800 46,140 18.4
The population distribution of Jurong West in 2026 demonstrates an ageing population structure. There is a higher population concentration among middle-aged groups, with the highest concentration of residents between 50 and 54 years old at 7.76%. Specifically, the male population peaks at the 50-54 age range at 3.90%, and the female population peaks at the 45-49 age range at 3.96%.
Household + Resident population by dwelling type in Jurong West (2000−2026)YearHDB flatsCondominiums andother apartmentsLanded propertiesPercentagePercentagePercentage 2000 198,520 2,170 3,440 2005 222,750 6,460 4,020 2010 251,250 11,600 4,100 2015 255,650 12,270 4,400 2020 240,300 17,390 4,270 2025 230,990 17,630 4,100 2026 228,300 17,420 4,030 As of 2026, the proportion of residents in Jurong West residing in HDB flats (91.0%) is significantly higher than the national proportion of HDB dwellers (75.5%), reflecting a greater prevalence of public housing in the area. This makes Jurong West have the second highest proportion of HDB dwellers among all planning areas in Singapore, behind Woodlands.
Among the population, 96,250 residents, or 38.4% of the population, live in 5-Room and Executive HDB Flats, making it the most common type of dwelling.
As of 2025, the average household size in Jurong West is approximately 3.23, considerably higher than the national average of 3.1. Among the 88,700 households in Jurong West, the most common household size is three persons, representing 24.5% of total households. This is followed by a household size of four persons, representing 21.9% of all households.
Jurong West has a home ownership rate of 94.9% as of 2025. This is higher than the national home ownership rate of 91.2%, reflecting a greater prevalence of homeowners in Jurong West.
Ethnicity + Ethnic groups in Jurong West (2010−2020)YearChineseMalays Indians OthersPercentagePercentagePercentagePercentage 2000 147,429 39,900 15,956 1,465 2010 184,658 48,663 27,134 7,069 2015 190,240 48,630 27,090 6,710 2020 183,590 46,520 26,360 6,260 2025 173,910 46,640 26,770 6,510
Jurong West has a greater ethnic diversity in comparison to the national average. Despite having a majority Chinese population, the proportion of residents of Chinese ethnicity, 68.5%, is significantly lower than the national proportion of 73.9%.
Religion
Consistent with the rest of Singapore, the largest religion in Jurong West is Buddhism, with 77,600 practising residents (33.55% of the population). The second most common group consists of residents with no religion (51,600 residents, 22.31%), followed by those practising Islam (42,900 residents, 18.55%). Additionally, there are 22,200 residents practising Taoism (9.60%), as well as 20,800 Christians (8.99%), including 9,700 Catholics (4.19%). Other religious affiliations include Hinduism (14,800 residents, 6.40%), and Sikhism (1,200 residents, 0.52%).
Jurong West is the planning area with the lowest proportion (9.0%) of practising Christians in Singapore, significantly below the national average of 17.1%. Additionally, Jurong West is the only planning area in Singapore where more residents practise Taoism than Christianity.
Education As of 2025, 98.4% of the population above 15 is literate, slightly lower than the national literacy rate of 98.6%. 71.6% of residents are literate in two languages, with the most common language pair being English and Chinese (48.2%). 4.9% of Jurong West residents are literate in three or more languages.
+ Highest qualification attained of non-student resident population aged 15 years and over (2025 est.) Qualification Percentage Singapore average Below secondary Secondary Post-secondary (non-tertiary) Polytechnic diploma Professional qualification and other diploma University
As of 2025, the proportion of residents in Jurong West with a university qualification (27.5%) ranks the third lowest among all planning areas in Singapore, and considerably below the national average of 36.7%.
Language
The proportion of residents in Jurong West using English as the most frequently spoken language (42.1%) is the lowest among all planning areas in Singapore, significantly below the national average of 58.1%.
Additionally, there are 9,700 Tamil speakers, representing 88.2% of the 11,000 Indian language speakers in Jurong West.
Employment and income According to the 2025 General Household Survey, 152,800 of residents aged 15 years and over in Jurong West are employed, out of the 158,800 in the labour force. This equates to an employment rate of 96.2%, lower than the national average of 96.7%, ranking the fourth lowest planning area in Singapore. The remaining 72,500 residents (31.3%) aged above 15 in Jurong West are outside the labour force.
+ Gross monthly employment income of employed residents aged 15 years and over (2025 est.) Employmentincome Percentage Singaporeaverage Below S$1,000 S$1,000–S$1,999 S$2,000–S$2,999 S$3,000–S$3,999 S$4,000–S$4,999 S$5,000–S$5,999 S$6,000–S$6,999 S$7,000–S$7,999 S$8,000–S$8,999 S$9,000–S$9,999 S$10,000–S$10,999 S$11,000–S$11,999 S$12,000–S$14,999 S$15,000–S$19,999 S$20,000 and over
+ Monthly household employment income (2025 est.) Householdemployment income Percentage Singaporeaverage No employed person Below S$1,000 S$1,000–S$1,999 S$2,000–S$2,999 S$3,000–S$3,999 S$4,000–S$4,999 S$5,000–S$5,999 S$6,000–S$6,999 S$7,000–S$7,999 S$8,000–S$8,999 S$9,000–S$9,999 S$10,000–S$10,999 S$11,000–S$11,999 S$12,000–S$12,999 S$13,000–S$13,999 S$14,000–S$14,999 S$15,000–S$17,499 S$17,500–S$19,999 S$20,000–S$24,999 S$25,000–S$29,999 S$30,000–S$34,999 S$35,000 and over
Notable places
Jurong West's two main rivers, Sungei Jurong and Sungei Lanchar, run through the town with a network of green connectors along their banks. They link housing precincts to neighbourhood parks such as Jurong Central Park, as well as the Jurong West Sports Centre, Jurong West Stadium and Frontier Community Centre. These park connectors are linked to the Chinese Garden in Jurong East New Town and the Bukit Batok Town Park in the north, to better serve the recreational needs of the residents of Jurong West. Jurong Central Park, located in Kian Teck, is a rectangular green space created behind Boon Lay MRT station.
Jurong West's major public transport amenities were built in tandem with the main public housing development. The elevated track infrastructure of the East West MRT line was developed as the existing public housing blocks were being built in the 1980s. The amenities were built in a contiguous building complex, which gives commuters direct access between Boon Lay MRT station, Boon Lay Bus Interchange, The Centris condominium and Jurong Point.
Transport
Jurong West is served by the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) network, public buses and an extensive road and active-mobility network. The town's transport network is being expanded through the construction of the Jurong Region Line (JRL), which will add several stations within Jurong West and provide connections to the existing East–West Line.
Bus
Jurong West is currently served by a large network of public bus services operated under the Jurong West bus package. The package comprises 26 routes operating from Soon Lee Bus Depot and includes services linking residential areas within Jurong West with surrounding MRT stations, interchanges and other parts of western Singapore. Since September 2024, the package has been operated by SMRT Buses.
Bus services also provide connections between Jurong West's residential precincts and its existing MRT stations. Services under the Jurong West bus package include routes serving Jurong West Streets, Boon Lay, Pioneer and other neighbourhoods, with Boon Lay and Joo Koon bus interchanges forming major transfer points for the town.