Is Poverty Real in Singapore?
I might risk a backlash by just posing the question. But please don't jump into conclusion just yet based on the title alone.
I don't grow up privileged enough to not understand the concept of poverty. Of course, what is "privileged" and "poverty" are subjects of definition and context. I fully appreciate that living safely and comfortably in Singapore is already a privilege in itself. And to have the opportunity of good education, beyond basic literacy; to have a financially independent life; to stay healthy and safe, and to be able to enjoy luxuries of travel and entertainment, are all dreams beyond the imagination of many people who are in the same world at the same time as me.
But to put it into context, many Singaporeans have such privileges which are often taken as given. Known for its economic prosperity and high living standards, the question then is whether the concept of poverty is truly relevant in a highly developed society such as Singapore.
In my course of social impact work, I have worked on projects with beneficiaries from the lower income category (defined as households with combined income lesser than S$1,900 or per capita less than S$650). When measuring the social impact created and aligning with the UN Social Development Goals, I often hesitate whether Goal No. 1 No Poverty should be cited.
It may be a matter of context, that poverty in the global context has a larger degree of deprivation due to its extremity. Would it be fair to compare the low income group in Singapore with starving communities in Africa? The UN concerns itself with poverty in the more extreme sense. Its statistics suggests that 736 millions or 10% of the world's population still live in extreme poverty (defined as living below approximately US$2 a day); and 1.3 billion people lives in multidimensional poverty (calculated using an index measuring 3 dimensions - monetary, education and basic infrastructure services).
It is therefore hard to categorize poverty in Singapore according to the same measurements by the UN.
Poverty is not the same in Singapore. But that does not mean poverty is not real in Singapore.
According to the Borgen Project, out of 136 countries, Singapore currently ranks 26th in the most income disparate, which makes Singapore the second most income unequal country in Asia. According to official statistics, 1 in 10 families in Singapore is a low income family.
Singapore has also been ranked recently as the most expensive city to live in, sharing the crown with Zurich. According to official statistics, the average household expenditures is around S$4,900 per month. In this context, poverty is real for the low income group in Singapore.
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While we fly the Singapore flag high and find pride in being a Singaporean, let's not forget to be real and find livelihood and solutions for a significant proportion of the population that shares our reality. Let's work at defining the needs of our society and making it more prosperous overall - alleviating poverty that is real and not just the extreme.
Disclaimer: The content of this article is informational only. Nothing in this note shall constitute legal, investment or professional advice.
Read?my other publications on:
LinkedIn: Conservation & Choices; Female Entrepreneurship - Unique Opportunities & Challenges; ESG for SMEs in Singapore? S Integration & Implementation I - How to Think about Impact Integration in Social Enterprise; Let's Talk about Governance; The Social Aspects of ESG — Where Every Organization Finds a Soul; Carbon Credits — Quality Matters; On Greenwashing: Greenwashing Behaviours to Avoid as an Organization; Why I Still Believe in Blockchain; Chat GPT is Not Your Best Friend Yet — and Here is Why; Living a Colourful Life; Carbon Taxes & Credits — An Introduction; 3 Reasons Why Every Business Should Incorporate Sustainability; Master of None — Reflections on Tips to Becoming a Successful Generalist;The Fool-Proof Guide to Setting up an ESG Framework & Policy for Businesses, Investors and Investment Managers, Part 1 of 5; Gone with the Red — Ep.1; My footprints 2022;
Medium: Conservation & Choices; Female Entrepreneurship - Unique Opportunities & Challenges; ESG for SMEs in Singapore? S Integration & Implementation I - How to Think about Impact Integration in Social Enterprise; Let's Talk about Governance; The Social Aspects of ESG — Every Organization Needs a Soul; Carbon Credits — Quality Matters; On Greenwashing: Greenwashing Behaviours to Avoid as an Organization; Why I Still Believe in Blockchain;Chat GPT is Not Your Best Friend Yet — and Here is Why; Living a Colourful Life; Carbon Taxes & Credits — An Introduction; 3 Reasons Why Every Business Should Incorporate Sustainability; Master of None — 3 Key Tips to Success as a Generalist; The Fool-Proof Guide to Setting up an ESG Framework & Policy for Businesses, Investors and Investment Managers, Part 1 of 5; Gone with the Red — Ep.1; My Footprints 2022; More than Just Words — embracing a greener life
Project Risk Management ? Meeting Planning ? Stringer ? Advancing News Diversity with Asian American Journalists Association ? Society of Professional Journalists ? LinkedIn Local? - Singapore
8 个月Chanced upon this post, when searching for poverty in Singapore. Unfortunately, most/some in Singapore tend to forget easily, as this is one of many issues reared heads during 2020-21 pandemic. And poverty, which some in Singapore will disagree, is a highly complicated socio-economic problem. Or worse, some still hold the old notion that "each person has their own porcelain rice bowl and if you break it, it’s your bad luck." Unfortunately, in this age of fast gig economy, anyone can be retrenched or have their rice bowl broken at any time, in order to have corporate balance sheet looking good.
APAC Head of Legal & Compliance | Complex Transactions & Governance | Leading Multiple Legal & Compliance Teams | Co-Author with Brian Tracy, Les Brown & Kerri Kasem
1 年Timely governmental intervention to address poverty issues in Singapore from time to time, not solving them entirely, may be a differential factor as compared to poverty as defined by SDG goal No. 1 and measured in the relevant country's context Xiaoyin Shen.