Survey: 85% of respondents proud to be Singaporean, but only 15% happy with cost of living
SINGAPORE — An overwhelming majority of adult Singaporeans and permanent residents (PR) polled in a recent survey – 85 per cent – said they are proud to be a Singaporean or PR.
The survey, conducted online by market research company Ipsos between 7 and 11 August, polled a representative sample of 1,000 Singaporeans and permanent residents aged 18 and above.
The period was just weeks after the 2020 General Election on 10 July, and coincided with Singapore’s 55th National Day celebrations on 9 August.
Of the 85 per cent of respondents who said they are proud to be citizens or PRs, about 38 per cent of them said they are very proud to be so, according to the findings by Ipsos released on Thursday (3 September).
Most of those polled (65 per cent) also said they are proud of their fellow countrymen.
Meanwhile, 66 per cent of respondents agreed that Singapore is a better country to live in than others, and 55 per cent think the country is a better one to work in than elsewhere.
But only three in 10 of those polled said Singapore is a better country to retire in than others. Another one-third said they were undecided, neither agreeing nor disagreeing that Singapore is a better place for retirement.
Most want ‘honest and transparent government’
The survey also looked at which national values were most important to Singaporeans; what are the most notable characteristics of Singapore; and what Singaporeans consider to be important to the Singaporean identity.
On national values, respondents were asked to pick five values they believe to be most important to the country. The values topping the list are: have an honest and transparent government (72 per cent), be just and fair to all (55 per cent), be safe (52 per cent), be progressive (38 per cent), and be socially and environmentally conscious (38 per cent).
At the bottom of the list are: uphold the right to privacy (18 per cent), have freedom of press/media (21 per cent), and have freedom of religion (24 per cent).
On notable characteristics, those polled were asked to rate Singapore’s performance as excellent or good on a list of 17 aspects. The aspects topping the list are: safety (83 per cent), infrastructure (80 per cent), cleanliness standard (75 per cent), standard of education (72 per cent), and standard of healthcare (71 per cent).
At the bottom of the list are: cost of living (15 per cent), freedom of speech (20 per cent), and employment opportunities (34 per cent).
Finally, respondents were asked about attributes they considered important to the Singaporean identity. The vast majority (74 per cent) agreed that “being a Singaporean” is an important part of their identity while more than half (58 per cent) considered themselves as patriotic.
The top attributes are: a multiracial and multireligious society (60 per cent), local food and delicacies (57 per cent), world-class services such as Singapore Airlines and Changi Airport (46 per cent), and Singlish (44 per cent).
At the bottom of the list are: local sports scene (3 per cent), local arts scene (6 per cent), dialects (13 per cent), and history (15 per cent).
Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore
Other Singapore stories:
Girl riding on bicycle hit and held railing at HDB carpark before falling 6 floors
48 more COVID-19 cases in Singapore, including 2 community and 5 imported
Open verdict recorded in death of three-month-old baby who slept beside mother
Essential business, official travel between Singapore and South Korea now allowed
