Straitstimes.com header logo

Singapore upgrades 2026 growth forecast to 4.5% to 5.5% on stronger AI boom

A further acceleration in AI-related capital expenditure is expected to lift the growth prospects.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry expects Singapore’s economy to expand by 4.5 per cent to 5.5 per cent in 2026, sharply higher than the earlier forecast of 2 per cent to 4 per cent.

S’pore upgrades key exports forecast for 2026 after AI-powered 27.4% jump in Q2

image-alt

Unmasked: Bosses behind Chen Zhi’s global scam syndicate hired S’poreans as personal assistants

image-alt

More young people behind terror threats with radicalisation taking just weeks: Experts

image-alt

‘I study them, then strike’: This ex-soldier now wages war on pests

image-alt

ST Live: News as it happens

How well do Singaporeans and Malaysians really know each other?

Colombia declares state of emergency after quake kills 111; others trapped in collapsed buildings

Trending

Singapore economy

Earthquakes

Scams

Money laundering

Terrorism

Shorts
Crowds mesmerised by SG61 fireworks display | NDP2026

0:49

SG61 Fireworks in 61 seconds | NDP2026

1:01

[TIMELAPSE] NDP 2026 in 61 seconds | NDP2026

1:01

Kallang’s majestic Majulah moment | NDP2026

1:32

Gurmit Singh returns as Phua Chu Kang alongside many other PCKs | NDP2026

0:30

Frog mascot shows off funky moves | NDP2026

0:28

Guard of Honour performs feu de joie | NDP2026

0:54

PM Wong arrives at National Stadium | NDP2026

1:26

Crowds gather to watch the state flag fly-past | NDP2026

0:20

Singapore

No lesson slots at driving school? Try Bukit Batok centre at weekend but be prepared to pay more

The new lesson slots on Saturday and Sunday evenings are often snapped up fast.

Generic photo of Bukit Batok Driving Centre, taken on July 29, 2026.

How worrying is Singapore’s haze outlook, and how can you protect yourself?

President Tharman hosts reception for Team Singapore athletes, volunteers and others

Wife’s share of assets bumped up to 35% in divorce due to husband’s lack of disclosure

Asia
image-alt

Who decides what is fake news? Philippine Bill puts power in state’s hands, to dismay of journalists

image-alt

Malaysia was confident in its social media ban, but kids are still on TikTok

image-alt

China says Long March 7A rocket launch failed after flight anomaly

image-alt

Asia’s tourist hot spots suffer as European travellers stay away due to war impact

Opinion

How well do Singaporeans and Malaysians really know each other?

Terence Ho

avatar-alt

Singapore was built on order. Then life got messy

Ben Chester Cheong

Sumiko at 62: Why vaccines matter more as we age, and the Big Four you shouldn’t miss

Sumiko Tan

avatar-alt

The exciting boring decade

Janan Ganesh

Visual stories

Singapore sketched: An illustrated tour of the sunny island

image-alt

Marks of a nation: 61 years of design in Singapore

image-alt

Thailand school shooting: What we know so far

image-alt

Fake news spreads like an epidemic. Here’s how to stop it

image-alt

Beyond the glass: Inside the Singapore Oceanarium

image-alt

Mapping the 7.1-magnitude quake in Japan

image-alt

What over 500 HDB estate names reveal about Singapore

image-alt

Are you earning as much as your peers?

image-alt

‘We keep people alive’: His flying ICU rescued 800g baby, 250kg man

image-alt

Why your wait for a bus in Singapore feels so long even when it is on time

image-alt
Podcasts
image-alt

Asian Insider Podcast

Why Japan’s elderly keep going back to prison
image-alt

The Usual Place Podcast

Watch: Suicide deaths for Singapore’s 30-somethings are up 50%, what’s happening?
image-alt

In Your Opinion Podcast

Inside disguised retrenchments: An employment lawyer on how companies force workers out
image-alt

ST Podcasts

Discover The Straits Times’ podcast shows
navigation-bar-logo
Headstart
Latest
Money Mentor
Work Bestie
Life Guide
About Headstart

Video: Should we uproot our forests for HDB flats?

With development planned for Maju Forest and Gillman Barracks, Members of Parliament debated the trade-offs.

Headstart On Record Podcast

Invest in stocks and ETFs because your friend says so? Why friends and finances don’t always mix

More rental housing options being studied as demand from young Singaporeans grows

Me & My Money

He goes from living on $1 bread to running his own mocktail business

‘I understand what it feels like to be excluded’: SMU grad started project to befriend migrant workers

Siti Noormasliana Noorazman founded Project Candela to build bridges between migrant workers and the wider community.

askST Jobs: I’ve been told to sign an NDA before I can get my retrenchment payout. What should I do?

Employees who are asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement before receiving a retrenchment payout should first ask for more time if the deadline is too tight.

University of the Arts Singapore marks first batch of graduates

Zhuang Chuhang, 28, is among the University of the Arts’ first batch of graduates.

‘We keep people alive’: His flying ICU rescued 800g baby, 250kg man

Most popular

1

‘Weird, childish’ events and bad coffee: How a Singaporean sniffed out the Fun Coffee investment scam

2

Former national table tennis star Yu Mengyu gives birth to twins three days before National Day

3

Chinese restaurant Havelock Palace apologises for cooking seafood foraged from Changi Beach

4

Singaporean kidnapped in Malaysia, safe after rescue in Kedah: S’pore police

5

Access to several areas near National Stadium reopened after restrictions due to NDP 2026 crowds

6

‘National Day gift’: Tan Kiat How becomes father for the 3rd time on Aug 10

7

Lions’ ASEAN Championship semi-final, first leg to take place at Jalan Besar Stadium

8

Thai school shooting: Officer wearing shorts to scene was off duty, rushed from doctor’s appointment

9

Cybercrime suspect fails in appeal to challenge police’s seizure of his belongings

10

Shein finds there’s no place like China after Vietnam warehouse experiment disappoints 

Branded content
Forgot what a blackout feels like? Inside the work that keeps your lights on
60% of Singaporeans have a second job – you're likely one of them
woman looking worried and distracted at work
Hidden victims: Their loved ones abused drugs, but they had to pay the price too
Donkey rides, speedboats and global deals: A look at the life of a ship charterer
vale tan with vessel crew, port agents and traders to oversee the transfer of cargo onto smaller boats for transport to shore
Quieter spaces, better training: What firms are doing to be more inclusive
garden by the bay time for acceptance
You don't have to wait for wrinkles to start this collagen-stimulating face treatment
A consultation helps determine whether Thermage FLX is suitable for the patient, based on factors such as skin quality, facial anatomy, medical history and treatment goals.

E-paper

Newsletters

Podcasts

RSS Feed

About Us

Terms & Conditions

Personal Data Protection Notice

Need help? Reach us here.

Advertise with us

Download the app

Get unlimited access to exclusive stories and incisive insights from the ST newsroom
Subscribe Placeholder
MDDI (P) 046/10/2025. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No.202120748H. Copyright © 2026 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.