Health, Economic Status & Poverty
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
In 2019, Singapore's GDP was S$507,568 (Department of Statistics Singapore, 2020). Between the years of 2007 and 2017, the health expenditure average was 4.4 percent of the nation's GDP (Statista Research Department, 2020).
Though Singapore is one of the wealthiest and most well-developed nations in the world, it also has one of the largest inequality gaps of all advanced Asian countries. Health inequality, defined as "differences in health status or in the distribution of health determinants between different population groups" (Skolnik, 2021), impacts Singapore's citizens as well. Around ten to 14 percent of its people struggle with severe financial issues which significantly impact their ability to meet their basic needs, hunger being at the forefront of those needs. Those most affected by poverty are the elderly with the number of impoverished people over the age of 60 increasing by nearly 74 percent from 2012 to 2015. The second largest group most affected by poverty are Singaporeans between the ages of 15 and 34. Low-paying entry-level jobs and a lack of laws requiring a minimum wage are the main causes of poverty for this age group (Philipp, 2020). Additionally, the limited employment opportunities are reflected in the current unemployment rate of 3.3% (Summary Table, 2020).
Over 87 percent of Singapore's residents own a home. For the less than five percent of the population who cannot afford to purchase a home, heavily subsidized public rental housing is offered. While public rental housing blocks are built within the same areas as those privately owned, there is a correlation between living in subsidized housing and poorer measures of overall health amongst adults. Residents living in low socioeconomic status public rental housing have statistically poorer mental and physical health, a higher rate of poorly or unmanaged chronic disease, and less access to healthcare related services (Wee et al., 2019).
The Progress Singapore Party (PSP), a major national political group known as 'the party for the people', focusses their efforts on the need for increased attention on the rising poverty rates. In 2019, talks of policy initiatives highlighted achievable changes the government could enforce to support its impoverished citizens such as the poor and the elderly. The Singaporean government has since taken steps to increase its funding of aid programs such as the Silver Support Scheme, which supports the elderly population. Additionally, qualifying criteria for the program will soon expand and quarterly payouts will increase by 20% (Philipp, 2020).
