Majority of Singaporeans are happy with government performance and the way things are

SINGAPORE — A recent survey by international research data and analytics group YouGov showed that most Singaporeans are happy with the government’s performance. A YouGov survey published on Wednesday (Jan 11) indicates that most respondents (57 per cent) are happy with the way things are. At the same time, a quarter expressed the opposite sentiment.

Generationally, Baby Boomers, or those born between 1946 and 1964, were the happiest with the way things are currently (67 per cent), while 50 per cent of Millennials, those born between 1981 and 1996, made up the smallest proportion of citizens who shared the same sentiments. Gex Xers, or those born between 1965 and 1980, were more likely to declare unhappiness at 27 per cent.

The study showed similar trends when the respondents were asked about the government’s performance. Close to six in 10 were very or mostly satisfied (57 per cent), while a third expressed dissatisfaction (37 per cent). Two-thirds of the Baby Boomers shared a positive sentiment towards the government’s performance.

The respondents were polled on how they believed the government performed based on a range of attributes such as law and order, where 32 per cent said it performed excellently and 45 per cent said the performance was good.

Other areas respondents said the government did well in were public health and economic management, with more than half rating them positively.

Attributes in the middle range were environment and climate change, providing equal opportunity and immigration.

Meanwhile, cost of living and housing affordability were the areas in which the largest proportion of Singaporeans said were handled poorly, at 39 per cent and 37 per cent, respectively.

“For the most part, areas which citizens hope the government would place greater focus on aligned with the attributes that were rated most poorly,” noted YouGov.

Nine in 10 said more needs to be done to address the cost of living (66 per cent), followed by three in five who said so for housing affordability (66 per cent). Just over two in five want more focus placed on jobs (45 per cent) and public health (41 per cent), while a third say more needs to be done in economic management (33 per cent).

Across the generations, Gen Xers were most likely to say more had to be done to address the cost of living, while housing affordability was the greatest concern among Millennials.

The survey consisted of 1,045 Singaporean citizens interviewed between Dec 14 and 18, 2022. /TISG

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