ST poll: What should Singapore’s future look like?
As the Republic prepares to turn 61, young people aged 15 to 35 are invited to share their hopes, concerns and aspirations in a new ST poll.
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
The 15-question poll asks respondents about what defines the Republic and what they envision for its future.
PHOTO: ST FILE
Claire Huang
SINGAPORE – As Singapore prepares to turn 61, The Straits Times is inviting young people to share their views on what the Republic’s future should look like.
The online poll, open to those aged 15 to 35, will run from June 15 to July 5. The 15-question survey takes about five minutes to complete.
It asks respondents about Singapore’s defining traits, the values and features of Singapore that make them proud, and what they hope Singapore will be like when it turns 100.
The survey also asks what respondents believe should be protected and preserved for future generations.
It will also explore whether the National Pledge remains relevant to young people today, and how far Singaporeans should go in upholding the values of multiculturalism, democracy, justice and equality in daily life.
The results will be published in The Straits Times in August.
The poll comes ahead of National Day on Aug 9. The 2026 theme, “Majulah Singapura, Go Beyond”, calls on Singaporeans to reach higher together, and look after one another and the wider community.
That question of what it means to “go beyond” is taking on greater urgency. It comes as Singapore navigates a more uncertain global environment marked by sharper geopolitical rivalry, faster technological change, and new pressures on trust and cohesion.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said at a Singapore Press Club dialogue on June 8 that the world is going through the most important transition in the global order since the end of the Cold War.
He noted that while Singapore cannot fully control how the world changes, its response must come from Singaporeans.
This is because the nation’s greatest strength is “our ability to stay united and move forward together as one people” – something that has remained the same over the years, PM Wong noted.
As the world becomes more fractured, he said, Singapore must be more cohesive because that is the way to thrive and flourish in the years ahead.
The impact of artificial intelligence is also expected to be felt more quickly here. The Economic Strategy Review committee on human capital has said Singapore workers are likely to feel AI disruption sooner than many elsewhere, given the country’s highly open, competitive and globally connected economy.
For young people, these shifts will shape the jobs available to them, the skills they need, the information they trust and the kind of society they inherit.
Through this poll, ST hopes to hear from the generation that will live with these choices the longest and better understand what they believe should define Singapore’s next chapter.
Participants can take part in the online poll here.
