Singapore takes No. 1 spot on Good Government Index for 4th consecutive year

SINGAPORE: Singapore took the top spot on the Chandler Good Government Index yet again this year, the fourth consecutive year the city-state has been given this distinction.

The index measures the capabilities and effectiveness of 133 governments across the globe, focusing on the following pillars: Leadership & Foresight, Robust Laws & Policies, Strong Institutions, Financial Stewardship, Attractive Marketplace, Global Influence & Reputation, and Helping People Rise.

Singapore not only maintained pole position, but it is also the only Southeast Asian nation, as well as the only other Asian country in the top 10.

Taking second place on the index this year is Norway, which improved two places from last year, followed by Denmark, which stayed steady in third place. In fourth place is Finland, which declined two places from 2025, followed by Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands, which all kept the same rank this year. In ninth place is the United Arab Emirates, up one spot from last year, and rounding out the top 10 is Luxembourg, which declined by one spot.

Singapore ranked number one for Leadership & Foresight, Strong Institutions, Financial Stewardship, Attractive Marketplace and Helping People Rise. For Robust Laws & Policies, it ranked eighth, and in terms of Global Influence & Reputation, it’s in the 21st spot.

“Singapore has held the top CGGI rank for four consecutive years. The country strengthened its position in Financial Stewardship in 2026, registering its strongest year‑on‑year score improvement to regain the No. 1 global rank in this pillar, boosted by improvement in the Country Budget Surplus indicator.

Singapore’s constitutionally anchored balanced budget framework continues to deliver results: the 2025 fiscal year ended with a surplus equivalent to 1.9% of GDP, more than double initial projections, driven by robust corporate income tax collections,” the report notes.

While this year’s index was first published in May, its results have gotten fresh attention because Dinesh Naidu, the Director for Knowledge at the Chandler Governance Group (CGG), presented the report’s findings in Thailand this week.

The index showed that the Asia Pacific region has shown the largest improvement in terms of governance, as nearly four in five (79%) of its governments received higher scores this year.

Mr Naidu spoke at a joint session on “Future-Ready Governance in Asia and the Pacific,” as part of a programme in Bangkok for transforming public services throughout Thailand from OECD-UNDP-OPDC.

He said, “Asia Pacific’s progress this year shows that sustained investment in institutions and public service delivery pays off, even in a difficult global environment. What stands out is how broad-based this has been. The region improved across six of the Index’s seven pillars since 2021, which suggests deliberate, sustained capability building in areas that matter most to citizens.” /TISG

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