Living younger, longer: Singapore’s race to redefine longevity

In a city-state known for reinvention, Singapore’s next frontier isn’t another biophilic skyscraper or integrated resort. It’s something far more personal: the length — and quality — of its citizens’ lives.

“Living longer isn’t the same as living better,” says Dr Sue-Anne Toh, co-founder of NOVI Health, a specialist metabolic health clinic. “Lifespan counts the years, but healthspan measures how many of those years are lived in good health, free from chronic disease. You can reach 100, but if the last 20 years are spent in poor mobility and debilitating illness, the gain is limited.”

This is the essence of Medicine 3.0: shifting from reactive care — “wait for illness, then treat” — to proactive prevention. The goal? To extend vitality: More years of energy, independence, and connection. Or as Dr Toh and her team like to put it: “die young, as late as possible”.

In Singapore, what’s emerging is nothing short of a blueprint for the future of ageing.

There’s world-class research, courtesy of facilities like the NUS Academy for Healthy Longevity; government support in the form of national initiatives such as Healthier SG and Age Well SG; private innovation from the likes of Asia Longevity Clinic, Chi Longevity, Eternami, NOVI Health as well as Seveno Capital’s soon-to-launch, 38,000 sqft longevity hub Morrow and The Longevity Suite Asia in METT Singapore; and cultural buzz from longevity summits, biohacker communities and even Netflix.

Together, they paint a picture of a society that refuses to accept ageing as mere decline. Instead, Singapore is reframing longevity as an opportunity: a chance to live not just longer years, but better years.

The new wealth: Health

Dr Toh is quick to point out that longevity isn’t about miracle pills or wrinkle creams. “Healthspan isn’t extended by one pill or protocol, but by combining lifestyle fundamentals with smart medical insight. The most powerful interventions remain the simplest: nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress management, and strong social connections.”

What’s new and rapidly evolving are high-tech tools. For example, NOVI’s Assessment Max programme tracks over 100 biomarkers — from hormone profiles to VO₂ max (the maximum amount of oxygen your body can absorb and use during exercise) — offering clients a personalised roadmap for better ageing.

The company’s proprietary app, NOVIFY, integrates wearable data to give real-time feedback, turning prevention into something measurable and actionable.

The results can be dramatic. “One of our clients in his 60s came in with high cholesterol, visceral fat, and early metabolic syndrome,” says Dr Toh. “After just two months of targeted interventions, he lost weight, gained muscle mass, normalised cholesterol, reversed insulin resistance — and his biological age dropped by five years.”

Dr Toh adds that younger clients in their 30s are now stepping forward, eager to track and optimise their health.

A national priority

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Singapore’s current longevity momentum is no accident. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong underlined the importance of healthspan during his recent National Day Rally, stressing the need for Singaporeans “to have both longer and healthier lives,” with healthspan catching up to lifespan. His words mark a critical shift: Longevity is no longer a niche interest, but a national priority.

“Singapore is poised to lead Asia’s longevity economy,” says Dr Toh. “Public health literacy is high, and Singaporeans increasingly understand that quality of life matters as much as lifespan. The city is emerging as a hub for research, investment, and wellness innovation — with summits, new venture funds, and dedicated health hubs shaping the ecosystem.”

In July 2025, the NUS Academy for Healthy Longevity released its first national HELO (HEalthy LOngevity) Survey, which revealed striking insights: Older Singaporeans are more proactive about diet, exercise, and health screenings, but younger adults lag behind.

“Nearly two-thirds of Singaporeans said they’d come to a healthy longevity medicine clinic if one were available,” says Professor Andrea Maier, co-director of the Academy and one of the world’s leading geroscience experts.

“That’s huge potential. Singapore can be at the forefront internationally — but the next step is embedding healthspan into the national agenda.”

For Maier, that means bold new measures: Using biological age as a national KPI, launching large-scale clinical trials to lower it, and positioning Singapore as a startup hub for healthy longevity. In October 2025, the Academy launched a new Clinical Trial Centre to enhance research and develop real-world solutions. 

“We have the ingredients: government support, world-class universities, and a strong economy. The next decade is about closing the gap between lifespan and healthspan — reducing today’s average 10-year gap of ill health to five years, or even less.”

From cultural buzz to private innovation

Singapore’s unique status has already caught the global imagination. In Netflix’s Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones, host and longevity researcher Dan Buettner designated it the world’s first “engineered Blue Zone” — a place where deliberate policy, from urban walkability to universal healthcare, supports longer, healthier lives.

“Two revolutions are occurring right now that can change every aspect of human life. One is AI. The other is longevity,” says entrepreneur Allen Law, CEO of Park Hotel Group.

Law is putting his money where his mouth is, investing US$156 million ($200 million) to launch Morrow, a new longevity hub set to open in Singapore in December 2025. Unlike elite wellness clinics reserved for billionaires, Morrow aims to democratise access.

“Our mission is dual: Profit, yes, but also social impact,” says Law. “Morrow is about making high-quality services more accessible. Singapore is just the start — my vision is to have a Morrow in every major city.”

Morrow’s AI-driven platform will learn from individual lifestyle data to provide real-time recommendations and early intervention. For Law, the ultimate goal is ambitious: “Twenty years from now, I hope healthcare everywhere will be focused on prevention, with systems that are sustainable and accessible to all.”

The biohacking underground

Alongside institutional initiatives, grassroots communities are also reshaping the concept of longevity. Chua Jing Zhi, a 33-year-old strength and conditioning coach, stumbled into biohacking after a health scare in 2024. “I thought I was healthy until I found my blood pressure was elevated during a demo shoot,” he recalls. “That moment pushed me to take control of my biology.”

Today, he tracks his VO₂ max with an $8,000 device, tests wearable devices for blood pressure monitoring, and fine-tunes his workouts using data. He’s also part of Don’t Die SG, a private WhatsApp group where Singapore’s biohackers — from doctors to enthusiasts — swap notes on everything from supplements to glucose monitors.

“The group made me more cautious about supplements,” says Chua. “But more importantly, it showed me how much knowledge-sharing and community matter in this journey.”

The future of ageing is here

From research labs to private clinics, government speeches to underground WhatsApp groups, longevity in Singapore is no longer a niche topic. It’s becoming a defining theme of the nation’s future, blending science, entrepreneurship, and policy.

Because in the end, true luxury isn’t just wealth, but time — and what you can do with it.