Singapore may be one of the most peaceful countries in the world, but don’t you mistake that for tranquility. Sure, it’s peaceful here in the sense that there’s a low crime rate and top levels of security, but it looks like we’re lacking peace in the context of peace and quiet. In a new study, our little island is ranked as one of the top 10 noisiest cities in the world, with a position of 9th place.
This ranking was done based on a study by Preply, taking into account factors such as population density, number of visitors per year, noise pollution levels, and the number of reviews on attractions that mention “noisy” and “loud”, among others.
The top three noisiest cities in the world are Paris, New York City, and Hong Kong – not entirely surprising. Zooming in on Asia, Singapore ranks below Hong Kong (#3) and Tokyo (#8), while placed above Seoul (#10), Taipei (#12), and Osaka (#17).
If you ask us, we wouldn’t say that Singapore is particularly loud all-around, but certain public spaces can definitely be a tad quieter for the benefit of everyone’s comfort. Perhaps this writer is just inevitably reaching a certain age where her noise tolerance levels are dwindling, but there seems to be an increasing number of people on public transport taking calls on speaker mode or watching videos out loud without using earphones – now that’s not very demure or very mindful at all.
Thankfully, with Singapore being a fine city, there are a couple of noise laws covering construction noise, vehicle noise, congregational noise and more, so things are generally pretty quiet in residential estates, provided you’re not living right next to a major road. In fact, there are mandated ‘quiet hours’ between 10.30pm to 7am that all residents are required to follow. If your neighbours do not comply with such rules and instead engage in perpetual chaos, you can in fact report them to the authorities – it’s real serious stuff.
That said, Singapore is a densely packed country and our population is only growing year by year, so being out and about can get overwhelming especially if you’re an introvert or someone with sensory issues. Here’s a tip for when it gets crowded: skip town and escape to Singapore’s countryside; visit a hidden restaurant for an off-the-grid dining experience; hike or trek along one of our many nature trails; or take yourself on a field trip to an animal or agricultural farm.
Top 20 noisiest cities in the world:
- Paris
- New York City
- Hong Kong
- London
- Los Angeles
- Barcelona
- São Paulo
- Tokyo
- Singapore
- Seoul
- Mexico City
- Taipei
- Dubai
- Rome
- Milan
- Dublin
- Osaka
- Orlando
- Toronto
- Melbourne
Noisiest cities in Asia:
- Hong Kong
- Tokyo
- Singapore
- Seoul
- Taipei
- Osaka
Check out the full report on the noisiest cities in the world.
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