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As a city-state, Singapore is one of the world's most densely populated countries with about 12,000 people per sq mi (about 4,600 people per sq km). A massive urban renewal program, begun in the 1960s, has replaced virtually all of Singapore's slums with modern housing units. As a result of family planning and a strict immigration policy, the annual rate of population increase has declined to just over 1%, down from 4.5% in the 1950s. The population is over 75% Chinese; Malays and Indians constitute large minorities. Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Confucianism, and Christianity are the religions of Singapore. The country has four official languages : Mandarin, Malay, Tamil, and English : and one of the world's highest literacy rates (a product of a fine uniform education system conducted in all the official languages).
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