Beyond business, what shapes Singapore's global reputation?

Singapore's global media reputation may be driven by business and diplomacy, but conversations about the country on social media are leaning towards tourism, culture, entertainment and travel, according to CARMA's "Singapore reputation report 2026".

The study found that economy and business was Singapore's biggest reputation driver in global coverage, accounting for 37%, followed by diplomacy and governance at 33%. Tourism, culture and sports accounted for 21%, while quality of life and human capital and society stood at 18% and 15% respectively.

However, the picture differed on social media, where conversations were more focused on lifestyle and cultural experiences. Positive conversations were driven by travel, food, concerts and attractions, alongside Singapore's stability and growing economy.

Instagram recorded the highest proportion of positive conversations, largely fuelled by content around major concerts, attractions and the country's food scene.

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The findings come from CARMA's analysis of more than 10,000 online articles and social media posts sampled from over 1,000 tier-one global media outlets and prominent social networks during the first half of 2026.

Beyond what people were talking about, international audiences also held broadly favourable views of Singapore.

Across 19 markets surveyed, 68% of respondents expressed a positive perception of the country, compared with 28% who were neutral and 4% who viewed it negatively.

India and Indonesia recorded particularly positive perceptions at 90% and 88% respectively, followed by Australia at 81% and the UK at 75%. Tourism and culture, economy and business, and quality of life emerged as Singapore's strongest attributes among international respondents.

More than half of the global public surveyed also indicated a willingness to engage with Singapore if conditions were right. Some 62% said they would travel to the country for tourism or business, while 59% were willing to do business in Singapore. Another 53% were willing to work in the country, while 49% would consider relocating.

The report also found that personal experience, family members, news and television programmes had a stronger influence on perceptions of a country than advertising, blogs or influencers, suggesting that national reputation is shaped across a broader mix of touchpoints than media coverage alone.

Meanwhile, technology is beginning to play a larger role in Singapore's international profile. Innovation and technology accounted for 13% of global coverage, with the country's AI ambitions among the stories that travelled widely across markets.

Partnerships and investments involving global technology players such as Google, Nvidia and OpenAI contributed to positive narratives around Singapore's innovation and technical capabilities. Major investment commitments from Micron and Microsoft also reinforced its positioning as a regional technology hub.

The study found, however, that not every major domestic development translated into international attention. Budget 2026, despite putting AI at the centre of fiscal policy, received relatively little attention outside Singapore.

Instead, stories tended to gain international traction when they had a direct connection to audiences in individual markets.

Major sporting events were one example. The Singapore Badminton Open, Singapore Smash and Singapore Airshow attracted attention in overseas markets, with coverage often following participating athletes, teams and aircraft with links to those countries.

Geopolitical developments also shaped how Singapore was portrayed internationally. The Middle East conflict was among the most widely reported stories involving Singapore during the period, with coverage shifting from the country's reputation as a stable destination for investment and dependable partner towards concerns around fuel prices, trade and economic disruption.

According to Andrew Nicholls, managing director, Asia at CARMA, "As Singapore continues to attract significant investment, most notably by leading AI companies, the country is poised to maintain and extend its leadership as a business and technology hub."

Looking ahead, he expects Singapore's regional standing to strengthen further.

As it steps up to the ASEAN Chair in 2027, we are likely to see its regional leadership go from strength to strength.

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