80% of Singaporeans say nationality is the strongest marker of Singapore identity: IPS survey

SINGAPORE: Nationality continues to be the strongest marker of Singaporean identity, but religion has now risen to second place in importance, ahead of language and race, according to the latest survey by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS).

The survey, conducted from April to August last year among 4,000 Singapore residents, found that nearly 80 per cent of respondents viewed nationality as the most important component of their identity.

Close to 74 per cent considered religious belief to be important or very important, marking a significant jump from 69 per cent in 2013, when religion ranked fourth in priority.

The study highlighted that religion carries particular weight among Muslims in Singapore. Nearly 60 per cent of Muslim respondents described religion as a very important part of their identity. This is a higher proportion compared to respondents from other faiths.

The findings also indicate that there is a growing desire among Singaporeans to understand their own religious beliefs.

In 2018, 70.6 per cent of respondents indicated this interest, rising to 73.1 per cent in the most recent survey. More respondents also said they derived a sense of belonging from their faith.