Commentary: Is Singapore on track to becoming a future-ready society?

SINGAPORE: Singapore has managed to progress over some six decades despite myriad challenges by anticipating future trends, adapting to changes and addressing problems head-on.
However, with an increasingly accelerated pace of change, how ready are we in preparing for the future and can we replicate our success?
Global rankings offer a glimpse into how the world views Singapore. We tend to use these rankings as a measure of how well we are doing or to project how well we might do in the future.
Love them or loathe them, we need to learn to take them with a healthy pinch of salt.
So where do global indicators of future-readiness put us?
Singapore was ranked sixth in Savills’ 2024 Resilient Cities Index on the ability to withstand economic, social, environmental and technological change; third in the International Institute for Management Development’s (IMD) World Digital Competitiveness Ranking 2023 looking at digital infrastructure and innovative capacity; and fifth in IMD’s 2024 Smart City Index, considering how structures and technology are applied and experienced in cities.
However, regardless of how well (or badly) Singapore is ranked, we should be mindful that these rankings often rely on specific metrics and methodologies that may not reflect the full picture, especially from the perspective of locals.
For example, the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Worldwide Cost of Living survey for 2023 has given Singapore the dubious honour as being the most expensive city globally.
However, this survey is designed to enable HR managers to determine fair and competitive wage packages for expatriate employees and business travellers. They do not take into consideration the various transfers that only our citizens enjoy, by way of public housing, subsidised education and healthcare. Singapore’s “top ranking” in no way suggests that costs of living for residents are highest in the world.
On the other hand, although the pervasiveness of “Smart Technology” is a key indicator of future-readiness that Singapore has been consistently ranked highly on, the rapid evolution of the digital society has also inadvertently placed additional strain on people. According to the 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer, over half of Singaporeans expressed concerns that society and technology are changing too quickly and in ways that do not benefit people.
This apprehension underscores the fact that the future is not just about any specific achievement – technological or otherwise – but also about how these achievements affect society, as well as how they translate into the lived experience of citizens and residents.
Replicating our success would require a deeper understanding of what the future means from the point of view of citizens – and this differs from individual to individual.
Those with stable incomes and ample resources may have the capacity to ponder on long-term implications of global challenges such as climate change. In contrast, individuals facing financial insecurity or who are struggling to meet basic needs may not have the same luxury to look beyond their immediate concerns, such as securing employment and affordable housing.
While some may advocate for sustainable, low-growth models to prioritise social welfare and environmental conservation, others see continual economic growth as the way to ensure continuous improvements to quality of life.
This disparity in perspectives and priorities has the potential to deepen existing societal divisions and engender discord over how resources should be distributed, what policies should be implemented, and the overarching trajectory of national development.
It is thus essential to bridge the knowledge gaps in understanding the ways Singaporeans think about the future, so that we can work to better align individuals towards a common future for the nation or, at the very least, facilitate consensus-building.
Citizens’ views of the role that they play in the nation’s future are also changing.
For many years, Singapore’s success was driven by a collective belief that our individual contribution towards economic growth will benefit all. However, this belief may not be held by all today as aspirations and motivations continue to evolve. Rising individualism can exacerbate social disparities and increase polarisation, making it much harder for society to close ranks on a shared, desired future.
How do we continue to unify Singaporeans? What more needs to be done so that individuals may continue to believe in and contribute towards our common good and common future?
The tension in balancing society’s and individual interests necessitates a cultural shift towards collective responsibility. Government initiatives like the Forward Singapore exercise have laid the groundwork for citizen participation, but it can only be a beginning.
This shift requires moving from a passive “what can the government do for me” mentality or a (better but still inadequate) reactive one of “I will consider doing what the government asks of me” to a proactive stance of “what can I do for my community”.
By taking ownership of their roles as active contributors to community well-being, individuals can play a pivotal role in driving positive change and bolstering our social resilience. Mechanisms to foster this culture require further exploration and experimentation.
Recent initiatives, like the ongoing Youth Panels organised by the National Youth Council, and ground-up movements run by volunteers, like 6th Sense which befriends and engage children and youth living in rental flats, provide inspiration and optimism of the potential here.
If we believe that a future-ready society is one which embraces a culture of collective responsibility, fosters active and inclusive participation, and a society where all have a share in its success, we need to ask three key questions.
How can we articulate a common vision of future Singapore? How can we mould a social ecosystem that enables everyone to meaningfully contribute towards this common vision? How do we ensure everyone will have a share in Singapore’s future success?
Compared to any given global ranking, the answers to these questions will more definitively tell us if Singapore is on track to being future-ready, to becoming a resilient, inclusive and sustainable country.
As we celebrate Singapore’s 59th birthday, on the cusp of a new chapter under a fourth generation of leaders, we have a good chance of sustaining our success as a country and a society – if we agree on what Singapore of the future should look like and how we can collectively work towards this vision.
Suhaila Zainal Shah, Samuel Chng and Harvey Neo are researchers at the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities (LKYCIC) at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). They lead the research in the Future-Ready Society programme, jointly led by LKYCIC and the Institute of Policy Studies, and supported by Tote Board.