Public sector report card: Singapore has made progress in key areas from education to housing

SINGAPORE – Amid efforts to forge a refreshed social compact where everyone gets a fair shot in life, more opportunities have been created for Singaporeans of any age, according to official figures.

The Singapore Public Sector Outcomes Review 2024, released by the Ministry of Finance on Nov 1, cited outcomes from early education to employment and retirement to illustrate progress in key areas.

In early education, for instance, the number of full-day pre-school places has increased to more than 200,000 to meet demand.

When it came to jobs, the employment rate of residents aged 25 to 64 was 82.6 per cent in 2023 compared with the pre-Covid-19 pandemic level of 80.8 per cent in 2019.

There was also a steady supply of jobs in growth sectors, with 56.3 per cent of newly created positions in 2023 for professional, managerial, executive and technical (PMET) workers.

The share of employed residents in these PMET jobs also rose – from 58.4 per cent in 2019 to 62.6 per cent in 2023.

This snapshot of the opportunities created for people is part of a biennial review, which takes stock of how Singapore has fared in key areas of national interest.

Besides opportunities for all, it covered three other broad themes: quality and sustainable living, the shared future and Singapore’s place in the world, and a strong and resilient economy.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who is also Finance Minister, said in a Facebook post that tracking these key outcomes ensures that Singapore’s development continues to be balanced, inclusive and sustainable. He added: “On the whole, we have made good progress. But there are still areas to improve and to do better. Together we can continue to push new frontiers, and take Singapore forward.”

Painting a generally positive picture, the review said good progress had been made under these broad themes, which covered areas such as education, health, housing, diplomacy and the economy.

Head of civil service Leo Yip said: “(The review) underscores the strides Singapore has made in key areas of national interest – with more opportunities for citizens, a quality living environment, a safe and secure Singapore, as well as a strong and resilient economy.”

When it came to housing, which had seen some delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, waiting times for Housing Board flats have gone down from about five years in 2022 to three years and 10 months in 2023, said the review.

As at September 2024, about 94 per cent of flats delayed because of the pandemic have been completed, and the remaining delayed projects are on track for completion by early 2025.

As a result, the average application rates for Build-To-Order flats – which is the total number of applications received, divided by the total BTO supply in the year – have fallen to 2.9 in 2023. This is down from a high of 5.8 in 2022, and below the pre-pandemic level of 3.7 in 2019.

In the area of health, Singaporeans continued to have one of the longest life expectancies in the world, with life expectancy at birth at 87.7 for females and 83.6 for males, and health-adjusted life expectancy at birth at 75.9 for females and 73.9 for males in 2021.

Progress has also been made in reducing the prevalence of high cholesterol and diabetes between 2017 and 2022, though the prevalence of obesity and high blood pressure went up during the same period.

Meanwhile, median waiting times for adults in public hospitals rose sharply from two hours in 2019 to 7.2 hours in 2023.