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29/06/2022
Report, Trends, Community Sentiment

Most Critical Issues for Singaporeans in 2H 2022

The recession, if economic experts are to be believed, is not a question of ‘if’, but ‘when’. Many believe it is already here and are seeing the signs of economic uncertainty.  

However, hope and optimism are core human traits that tend to surface even in the most trying of times.  

Our latest study, “Emerging From The Pandemic: The New Mood In Singapore” shows that most Singaporeans (84%) believe that the overall outlook for the country is on track, with even greater optimism observed among the youth (91%).  

These findings are even more illuminating in the context of our 2021 year-end poll results wherein “COVID cases falling to zero by end-2022” and “Singapore’s economy recovering to pre-pandemic levels” occupied the top two priorities, or hopes, among Singaporeans.  

While the desires have not manifested, Singaporeans do believe that life is getting back to normal, and 85% are content with the Government’s efforts in that direction. But there are caveats to this as we outline below.  

Present enthusiasm, future worries? 

The prolonged inflation crisis is of global concern. Internationally, there are concerns of political upheaval if inflation woes threaten the daily lives of people. 

The current state of the economy remains a key concern for Singaporeans, along with global issues such as a looming climate crisis, the possibility of new COVID strains, the Russia-Ukraine War, food shortages, and the like—all events that can potentially detail any country’s growth trajectory.  

On a personal level too, much less than half (44%) of Singaporeans believe that their personal economic outlook in 2022, compared to 2021, is “better”. Long-term economic prosperity has historically been an important validation tool for the Singapore Government, and more needs to be done to better the daily lives of Singaporeans.  

Tackling Future Challenges 

For policymakers, it is critical to directly address the main economic woes of Singaporeans—cost of living and inflation. Direct interventions to improve affordability would help Singaporeans while also enhancing the long-term perceptions of the Government.  

A unique growth potential of Singapore lies in the city-state’s neutral stance and steadfast refusal to dabble in any anti-China/US sentiments. This principled position has offered a haven for businesses from both sides of the divide to co-exist in the island nation.  



The above is just a glimpse of the findings and insights packed into our full report. To get the complete picture and deep dive into the attitudes, behaviours, and perceptions of citizens and consumers in Singapore, drop us a message saying “Yes, send me my free report!” to connect@blackbox.com.sg

Author: Blackbox Research Team

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