A recent online study has revealed that 42 per cent of Singaporeans want to migrate out of the country if given a chance.
The online study was conducted by global research company Ipsos and data solutions provider SSI in December 2015.
A total of 1,050 Singaporeans were surveyed and the study covered all demographics, including gender, ethnicity, age groups, occupation and household income, said Ipsos in a media release on Thursday (Sept 29).
Amongst them, 555 were females and 495 were males. There were 923 Singaporeans, with the remainder being expatriates currently living in Singapore, as well as Permanent Residents (PRs).
While most surveyed wanted to migrate, 36.6 per cent of the respondents did not want to leave the country and 21.2 per cent were unsure.
This is despite Singaporeans rating safety (80 per cent), standard of education (74 per cent) and economy (68 per cent) as good or excellent.
Although safety and standard of education here were highly rate, many felt there were still areas of improvement especially when it came to caring for the less fortunate (25 per cent stated needs improvement), ease of starting new business (23 per cent stated needs improvement) and freedom of speech (35 per cent stated needs improvement).
Almost 50 per cent of Singaporeans also believe that cost of living is an area which requires improvement.
Head of Ipsos’ market understanding unit Ms Melanie Ng said: “In Singapore, a typical complaint is the fast pace of life that is synonymous with city living… Hence the impetus to migrate perhaps stems from a person’s desire for a different lifestyle, or for a place where someone’s unique interests are viable career opportunities.”
She added that while Singapore is a liveable city, the “freedom of choice” may still outweigh the “comfort and safety” this country can provide.
Other values which Singaporeans considered important include “Honest and transparent Government” (72 per cent), “Be just and fair to all” (59 per cent) and “Being progressive” (52 per cent).
ssandrea@sph.com.sg
