Last updated: 5 November 2026. We update this page as ACRA, MOM and other official sources release new figures.
Singapore’s food and beverage scene is going through one of its toughest periods in years. Well-known restaurants and cafes are shutting, retrenchments are at their highest since 2020, and shoppers are spending more carefully. This tracker brings together the official numbers on F&B closures and openings, overall business formations and retrenchments in one place, with the source for every figure.
Key figures
- 2,101 F&B businesses closed in the first seven months of 2026, about 300 a month and 25.1% more than a year earlier (ACRA data).
- 2,594 new F&B businesses opened in the same period, so openings still outnumber closures.
- Closures are rising year after year: about 170 a month in 2020, 229 in 2023, 274 in 2024 and about 300 in 2026.
- Retrenchments climbed every quarter in 2026: 3,830, then 4,620, then 4,800 (preliminary).
F&B closures in Singapore, year by year
Average F&B closures per month:
2020, 2023 and 2024 (January to September): Knight Frank, as reported by The Independent Singapore. 2026 (January to July): ACRA data reported by The Straits Times, 2,101 closures over seven months.
| Period | F&B closures | F&B openings | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 (pandemic) | About 170 a month | Not reported | Knight Frank |
| 2023 | About 229 a month | Not reported | Knight Frank |
| January to September 2024 | 2,645 (274 a month) | 3,795 for full-year 2024 | Knight Frank; ACRA via SingStat |
| 1 January to 23 October 2025 | 2,431 retail food establishments ceased | 3,357 registered (4,103 F&B formations for full-year 2025) | MTI reply to Parliament; ACRA via SingStat |
| January to July 2026 | 2,101 (about 300 a month, up 25.1%) | 2,594 | ACRA via The Straits Times |
A note on the numbers: sources count slightly differently. ACRA counts registered business entities, while MTI’s 2025 figure covers retail food establishments. Treat the trend as more reliable than any single comparison.
Who is closing?
According to MTI figures for 2025, reported by Warely, young businesses make up most closures:
- 36.3% had been registered for under 3 years
- 26.7% for 3 to under 5 years
- 17.2% for 5 to under 10 years
- 13.8% for 10 to under 20 years
- 5.9% for 20 years or more
In other words, about 63% of F&B businesses that closed had been running for less than five years.
All businesses: openings still outpace closures
Across every industry, Singapore still adds more businesses than it loses. In the first seven months of 2026, 49,305 new businesses were registered and 38,146 closed, a 12.8% rise in closures on the same period in 2025, according to ACRA data reported by The Straits Times. In October 2026 alone, ACRA recorded 6,994 new business entities and 5,238 cessations.
Retrenchments in 2026
Workers retrenched per quarter, Ministry of Manpower figures reported by Vulcan Post and The Straits Times.
The second quarter’s 4,620 retrenchments were the highest since the fourth quarter of 2020, and the third quarter was higher again. The resident unemployment rate rose to 3.0% in September 2026. MOM says the layoffs are concentrated in restructuring sectors and that overall employment is still growing.
Retrenchment and home businesses: what we know
A common question is whether retrenched workers are turning to home businesses. The honest answer is that nobody counts this. Home-based businesses in Singapore don’t need a licence, and many trade under the owner’s own name without registering with ACRA, so there is no official figure for how many open each month, or why.
What we do know:
- A home business costs far less to start. There’s no shop rental, renovation or staff, which matters when F&B closures are rising and most of them are young businesses.
- The rules allow it. HDB and URA let residents run small-scale businesses from home without approval, within conditions. Home-based food businesses don’t need an SFA licence but must follow food safety laws. See our guide to home-based business licences.
- Some grow into shops. Tiap Tiap started as a home Peranakan kitchen in 2020 and opened its own shop in 2026 after testing demand first. Read more in our home business success stories.
If you’re thinking of starting one, begin with how to start a home-based business in Singapore, and read how to price for cautious shoppers before you set your prices.
What this means for small food businesses
- Test demand before taking on rent. Selling from home or online first shows whether people will buy, at far lower risk.
- Watch your ceiling price. Shoppers are cautious, so price against what buyers compare you with.
- Be found by people already searching. Category marketplaces and free Google Shopping listings cost nothing compared with a shopfront.
- Get help if you’ve plateaued. Shiokly Sells For You sells products and vouchers for established food and service businesses.
FAQ
How many F&B businesses close in Singapore each month?
About 300 a month in the first seven months of 2026, based on ACRA data showing 2,101 closures from January to July. That’s up from about 274 a month in 2024 and 229 in 2023.
Are more F&B businesses closing than opening?
Not yet. From January to July 2026, 2,594 new F&B businesses were registered against 2,101 closures. Openings still outnumber closures, but the gap is narrowing.
How many home businesses are there in Singapore?
There is no official count. Home businesses don’t need a licence and many aren’t registered with ACRA, so they aren’t tracked separately.
How often is this tracker updated?
We update it when ACRA, MOM or other official sources release new figures. Check the date at the top of the page.
Sources
- The Straits Times via Asia News Network: Business closures jump almost 13 per cent, ACRA data (August 2026)
- The Independent Singapore: F&B closures exceed 200 per month, Knight Frank (2024)
- Warely: Singapore F&B closures, citing MTI’s November 2025 reply to Parliament
- data.gov.sg: Formation of all business entities by industry, annual (SingStat, ACRA)
- ACRA: Business registry statistics
- Vulcan Post: Q2 2026 retrenchments highest since 2020
- The Straits Times via The Star: Retrenchments inch up in Q3 2026 (October 2026)
Start Small, Without the Rent
Test your food or product online before committing to a shop. List your first product free on Shiokly and reach Singapore shoppers by category and on Google Shopping. Claim your free listing, see how selling on Shiokly works, or let Shiokly sell for you.