Evolving opinions and behaviour in Singapore through the COVID-19 pandemic

This post is sponsored by Ipsos.

It is a cliché to refer to the COVID-19 pandemic as unprecedented. In some ways, the pandemic has truly been that – especially in terms of grounding tourism to a halt, moving students to study from home and emptying office buildings of desk-bound employees. To call new behaviours learnt during the pandemic as the new normal may be jumping the gun as trends take time to stabilise.

This paper attempts to look at Singapore in the context of neighbouring Southeast Asian countries since the onset of the pandemic.

The primary data source is a study conducted by Ipsos, the firm that the authors of this paperwork with. These 3,000 surveys per wave were split equally (500 surveys each) across these six countries: Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia. The four waves were conducted online in English (or the main local language) in May 2020, September 2020, February 2021, and June 2021.

Though the survey covered multiple topics, we have culled information that falls loosely under these four buckets

A. Perception of the COVID pandemic, per se.

B. Impact on finances.

C. Impact on health.

D. Attitude towards vaccination passports.

Let us now look at each of these areas.

A. Perception of the COVID pandemic, per se

One thing that has become clear during the pandemic is there is no linear progression in things getting under control. Various countries went into lockdowns (called circuit breakers in Singapore) periodically. When lockdowns were eased and there was another wave in COVID cases, lockdowns were reimposed.

The aftermath of these “yo-yo” lockdowns/easement was that in the latest June 2021 survey, more Singaporeans (35%) said they are reacting day-to-day to the new restrictions. In contrast, just four months earlier in February 2021, 43% had said they had adjusted to the restrictions and settled in new routines.

Despite this, Singaporeans believe the authorities will get things under control and life will get back to normal soon. Compared with other countries in Southeast Asia, more Singaporeans say that in the next three months they are likely to visit friends/family in their homes, go to a restaurant, or join a cultural event/gathering.

B. Impact on finances

The number of Singaporeans claiming the current economic situation in their country is good went up to 63% in June 2021 from 44% in February 2021.

The June number in Singapore is higher than Malaysia, where only 30% said their economic situation is good.

Younger Singaporeans are an optimistic lot when it comes to finances.

About the economic situation in Singapore, 75% aged 18 to 29 say the economic situation is good, against just 55% of those over 50 years of age.

When asked if their personal financial situation will improve over the next six months, the younger you are the more positive you are likely to be.

Another lockdown is what could throw a spanner in the works – 61% of those aged 18-29 say they are worried that another lockdown could impact their finances.

C. Impact on health

The pandemic and stay at home routine for many has impacted the level of physical activity in Singapore. When asked about their physical activities over the past six months, 43% of Singaporeans said they have been less active, while 19% say they have been more physically active. The remaining 38% experienced no change in their physical activity level.

Our survey data also corroborate the various news reports about the pandemic taking a toll on mental health. Our data shows that people, especially younger Singaporeans, feel they are in poorer mental health.

However, there is a silver lining. The number of those claiming to be feeling down is declining over time. About four in 10 Singaporeans say that in the past six months they were feeling more down than before. This is similar to the average across Southeast Asia.

Worryingly, about one in two aged 18-29 in Singapore say they were feeling down. In September 2020, 57% of Singaporeans said they were feeling down, this declined to 47% in February 2021, and now is around 40% in June 2021.

D. Attitude towards vaccination passports

Recently the Singapore government eased restrictions for those who are fully vaccinated. The June 2021 survey was done before these new measures were announced. What is interesting is that there is a strong receptivity among Singaporeans towards such measures.

– 70% of Singaporeans want all travellers entering the country to have a vaccine passport; the average for Southeast Asia is only 54%.

– 66% of Singaporeans say that large concert halls and stadiums should require a vaccine passport; the average for Southeast Asia is only 53%.

In sum

Reactions of younger Singaporeans are notable, in the sense that while they are generally more optimistic about their improved personal financial situation, they are more likely to feel down during lockdowns than older Singaporeans. The easing of restrictions over time will make a larger impact on this cohort.

This brief paper attempts to show the attitude and behaviour towards the pandemic and perceived impact are in a flux. While Singaporeans are confident the pandemic will be under control in the near future, there remain strong concerns about the potential of reimposing lockdowns.

Other global Ipsos studies on evolving attitudes of citizens through the pandemic:

• Declining mental health and wellbeing are seen as long-lasting outcomes of COVID-19 for children and young people
• Workers want more workplace flexibility from their employers post-pandemic

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us at emily.tan@ipsos.com or prasad.shinde@ipsos.com.

The writers are director Prasad Shinde and research manager Emily Tan of Ipsos.