Written Reply by Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing on 3 Nov 2026 to Parliamentary Question on Number & Causes of Unnatural Deaths Among Nsf

Every year, approximately 45,000 male Singaporeans and Permanent Residents (PRs) serve their full-time National Service (NS) in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), the Singapore Police Force (SPF), and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). Between 2016 and 2025, an average of 10 to 11 full-time national servicemen (NSFs) passed away during service per year from various causes, including suicides, road traffic accidents (RTAs), and natural causes such as illnesses. Consistent with the national trend for males aged 10 to 30, the leading causes of death were suicide, followed by RTAs.

Over the same period, an average of about four NSFs per year passed away due to suicide. This translates to an average annual suicide rate of 0.009% among NSFs. This is lower than the national suicide rate of 0.014% for males in 2024, which is the most recent year for which national suicide numbers have been finalised. Beyond these numbers, every death represents a tragic loss of life, leaving behind grieving families and loved ones. We take every loss of life seriously, and our deepest condolences go out to the families affected.

The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) take the safety and well-being of every NSF seriously. Every NSF death is thoroughly investigated and, where relevant, measures are put in place to reduce the likelihood of recurrence.

With regard to Mr Kenneth Tiong’s question on publishing such figures, MINDEF already issues a news release when there is a death of a serviceman in camp. MHA also issues a news release when a national serviceman passes away while on duty.