July 19, 2026

Singapore Struggles With Slow Growth in Booming Southeast Asian Food Delivery Market

Food Delivery
Reading Time: 3 minutes

A recent study reveals that Singapore experienced the second-lowest growth in its food delivery market in the previous year amongst significant Southeast Asian nations. The gross merchandise value (GMV) for food delivery in Singapore escalated by 13% in 2025, reaching US$2.9 billion. This rate of growth trailed behind the mean growth rate of 18% observed across six Southeast Asian markets.

Regional Growth Variances

Singapore’s expansion only superseded that of the Philippines, which marked a 12% increase – reportedly, this sluggish growth was due to recurring interruptions triggered by tropical cyclones.

In contrast, Thailand’s food delivery market noted the highest growth, with the GMV surging by 22%. The report suggests that this expansion was facilitated by various factors such as affordable initiatives launched by platforms, intensifying competition, and the government’s “half-half” subsidy scheme which underwrites a portion of consumers’ food expenditures.

Other countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam also witnessed substantial growth, each marking a rise of roughly 18% to 19%. Indonesia, being the region’s most densely populated market, registered the most significant absolute increase, contributing approximately $1 billion.

Factors Influencing Singapore’s Slower Growth

Addressing Singapore’s slower growth, Momentum Works CEO Li Jianggan highlighted that consumer behavior and market conditions significantly differ between countries. He referenced variations in city architectures, spending capacities, and the supply dynamics of delivery personnel and eateries.

He pointed out that food delivery can be quite costly in Singapore, particularly considering the availability of numerous affordable offline alternatives. Nonetheless, Singapore’s double-digit growth signifies a steady demand. However, keeping up this rate could put increasing strain on platforms to enhance their efficiency, especially as customers explore other options like dining out or self-collection.

Furthermore, Li noted that Singapore has a unique structural challenge – a limited pool of delivery riders – compared to larger and more densely populated neighboring countries. Adopting technology can help address this, but the key to raising the bar would be platforms’ relentless focus on establishing density and operational efficiency.

Market Leaders

At the platform level, Grab fortified its position as the predominant food delivery player in Southeast Asia, raising its regional market share from 53.8% in 2024 to around 55% in 2025. In absolute terms, Grab generated approximately $12.5 billion in food delivery value across the region last year.

ShopeeFood overtook Foodpanda to become the region’s second-largest platform, with estimated transactions totaling $3.3 billion. Meanwhile, Foodpanda’s value dipped to roughly $2.6 billion. Gojek and Thailand-based Lineman reported comparable values of about $2 billion each, indicating Lineman’s impressive performance in its local market.

The report underscored that compared to other emerging markets, Southeast Asia had a high order volume. The study estimated that collectively, platforms in the region handled between 8.5 million and 9.5 million food delivery orders per day on average in 2025. This volume is nearly twice that of India’s estimated daily orders of 4-5 million, despite India having approximately double the population of Southeast Asia.

The study concluded that the penetration of food delivery is less determined by population size, and more by urban density, eating-out substitution, and platform-led affordability mechanics.

Questions & Answers

What was the growth rate of Singapore’s food delivery market in 2025?
The food delivery market in Singapore grew at a rate of 13% in 2025.

Which was the fastest-growing market in Southeast Asia’s food delivery industry?
Thailand was the fastest-growing market in Southeast Asia’s food delivery industry, with a 22% increase in gross merchandise value.

Which platform consolidated its lead as Southeast Asia’s dominant food delivery player?
Grab consolidated its lead as Southeast Asia’s dominant food delivery player, increasing its regional market share to about 55% in 2025.

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