As of 2010, 17.0% of Singaporeans have no religious affiliation.[2] Non-religious Singaporeans are found in various ethnic groups and all walks of life in the diverse, multicultural city state. The Singapore non-religious community itself is very diverse, with many calling themselves atheists, agnostics, humanists, theists or skeptics. In addition, there some people who decline religious labels but still practice traditional rituals like ancestor worship. The number of non-religious people in Singapore has risen slightly. Census reports show that those who said they have no religion rose from 13.0% in 1980 to 17.0% in 2010.[3] In recent years, social gatherings of non-religious people have become more popular in Singapore.
Since 2005, informal atheist groups[4] had organised social gatherings to discuss about religion and popular new books by authors such as Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. One of the earliest groups is called the Atheist Haven, formed by 3 Singaporeans in 2004.[5] Today, its successor is called Singaporean Atheists and its still active on Facebook.
In 2008, the Singapore Humanism Meetup was formed as a social network of secular humanists, atheists or agnostics. They have been meeting regularly to discuss social issues of the day.[6] The network, which uses a website to organize social gatherings, has over 500 members registered online, meeting in various locations over town to hold workshops, talks and book clubs. In 2009, the network also held the first Darwin Day in Singapore to celebrate the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin.
In October 2010, the Humanist Society (Singapore) became the first humanist group to be gazetted as a society. Many pioneer members of the society met at gatherings organised by the Singapore Humanism Meetup.[7] The Society aims to provide a social space where non-believers can get together in a safe environment, as well as to promote for them the same rights and privileges that are enjoyed by members of religious bodies.[8] They will organize talks and seminars for both its members and the general public, as well as participate in public forums to discuss or promote the views of the society.
In 2011, the Humanist Society organised its first Humanist of the Year award. The award was given to Singaporean author Catherine Lim.
Irreligious groups in Singapore are also linked to other irreligious networks in Southeast Asia. The Singapore Humanism Meetup, Singaporean Atheists and Humanist Society (Singapore) are listed on the Southeast Asian Atheists website.[9]
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