Sensing the Shift: How Singaporeans Are Thinking Ahead of GE2025
Insights from SensingSG Q1 2025
As Singapore heads towards its next General Election, the mood of the electorate is anything but complacent. The latest Q1 2025 dataset from Blackbox Research’s SensingSG platform reveals a nation that is broadly content, increasingly politically alert—and far from decided.
Based on the responses of over 1,500 Singaporeans and PRs surveyed between 28 March and 8 April 2025, this latest round of SensingSG provides a valuable early pulse on what might drive, distract, and ultimately decide GE2025. The full dataset is now live on the SensingSG dashboard, offering a real-time lens into how voters are thinking and feeling.
A Country Content, But Watchful
If elections are won or lost on sentiment, the ruling party can take heart in the fact that the national mood remains largely upbeat. According to our Q1 data:
88% of Singaporeans believe the country is heading in the right direction, with personal financial confidence also ticking upward—56% expect to be better off financially a year from now.
The Good Governance Meter, a signature metric within SensingSG, shows citizen satisfaction at its highest point in 18 months.
But that optimism doesn’t mean automatic loyalty at the ballot box.
The data shows that while people are satisfied, they’re not disengaged—and this sets up a fascinating tension between confidence and curiosity, comfort and change.
Voter Engagement Rises—But So Does Indecision
Political attentiveness has surged across the board, with 76% of Singaporeans now closely following local politics—up from 69% a year ago. While interest remains highest among older voters (81% of those over 60), engagement among under-30s has also climbed to 72%, illustrating a generational shift toward greater political awareness.
Yet, despite this rising level of political engagement, 30% of voters remain undecided about who they will vote for—a proportion that actually rose a few points even after the widely publicised February Budget. The uncertainty is most pronounced in the North-East and West regions, and among voters under 30.
This points to a campaign that is not a foregone conclusion, and where personal outreach, policy resonance, and message clarity will make or break outcomes.
Swipe through our Key Findings Factsheet (below) for an at-a-glance view of what matters most to Singapore.
Political Theatre Moves Into View
Election season may not have officially begun, but it’s already being felt in the heartlands:
71% have noticed more political walkabouts in their neighbourhoods, especially by PAP candidates in the East and North.
Meanwhile, the Opposition has been most visible in the North-East, reinforcing its known battleground strategies.
Nearly three in five Singaporeans (57%) plan to attend at least one rally, and notably, 47% of them say it will be an Opposition event.
In short, this is shaping up to be one of the most visibly active campaigns in recent memory, with high public interest—and high stakes.
Leadership: Two Strong Figures, One Competitive Race
Approval ratings for the country's two leading political figures remain solid:
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong holds steady at 75%, reflecting trust in his steady stewardship amidst global uncertainty.
Workers’ Party leader Pritam Singh has rebounded strongly to 71% approval—up 7 points since the last quarter—suggesting that his recent speeches and ground activity have struck a chord, and that past controversies have not dented his credibility.
This positions the WP as a serious contender in several GRCs, and reflects a growing appetite for credible political diversity, especially among younger and more educated voters.
For deeper context on this emerging dynamic, read the full Blackbox Briefing: The Fight Ahead, below.
Cost of Living Still Rules the Day
Despite broader optimism, Singaporeans are clear about what really matters:
Cost of living remains the number one issue across all demographics.
Jobs, salaries, and housing affordability round out the top three concerns, with housing anxiety particularly acute among voters in their 30s. These are not abstract policy topics—they are lived daily realities.
“This election won’t necessarily come down to personalities or geopolitics—there are a lot of votes to be won on the ground... It is the personal, close-to-home issues that will really matter.”
Beyond Borders, But Not Ballots
While foreign developments aren’t shaping voter intentions directly, they are certainly on the radar:
62% believe US tariffs will impact global stock markets, and 38% think China’s market will outperform the US this year.
Trump’s re-election has not gone unnoticed: while 60% say his presidency will be good for Singapore, that figure is down 9 points since December.
Still, these topics remain background noise. In the SensingSG narrative, international intrigue takes a backseat to kitchen table issues.
The Bottom Line: GE2025 Will Be a Contest of Confidence
As we enter the home stretch toward GE2025, Singapore’s political landscape looks both familiar and fluid. There is confidence in governance, but also a growing desire for accountability. There is public optimism, but also voter hesitation. And there is rising engagement, but no clear narrative—yet—on how this will translate at the ballot box.
Whether continuity or change prevails will likely depend less on party machinery or ideology, and more on the ability to speak plainly, deliver locally, and connect personally.
Stay tuned to SensingSG as we continue tracking the mood of the nation through election season and beyond.
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