Study: Economic fears leading to grievance in Singaporeans

Economic fears in Singapore have metastasised into grievance, with almost four in 10 (39%) Singapore respondents reporting moderate to high sense of grievance. This, according to the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer Singapore, is defined by a belief that government and business actions are harming them and serving narrow interests, and ultimately the wealthy benefit while regular people struggle.

Fear of experiencing discrimination has surged 13 points to a record high of 67%, spanning the majority across all genders, ages, and income levels. The largest jump (20 points) was seen among women in Singapore.

“While government, business, media and NGOs remain trusted in Singapore, the fear of experiencing discrimination poses a very real threat to our social fabric,” said Delicia Tan, CEO, Edelman Singapore.

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“With a majority also believing that the wealthy may be taking more than their fair share and causing many of our problems, our institutions must use the trust placed in them to better manage these grievances and keep us on track towards a more inclusive and optimistic future," she added. 

Grievance is contextualised by four key factors:

1. Lack of hope for the next generation: The belief that the next generation in Singapore will be better off compared to today is at just 42%.
2. The mass-class trust divide: Low-income respondents trust institutions 16 points less than those with high-income.
3. Unprecedented lack of faith in institutional leaders: On average, 65% of respondents worry government officials, business leaders and journalists deliberately mislead them, up 13 points, on average, from last year.
4. Confusion over credible information: Around 67% say it’s becoming harder to tell if news was produced by a respectable source or from attempted deception.

Alarmingly, over 3 in 10 respondents – and 51% of those aged 18-34 – approve of one or more forms of hostile activism to bring about change - which includes attacking people online, intentionally spreading disinformation, threatening or committing violence, and damaging public or private property.

A zero-sum mindset also prevails, with respondents believing gains for those with opposing politics come at their expense – more than twice as common among those with moderate or higher sense of grievance (37%) than low sense of grievance (14%).

For the past several years, it has been clear that people want government and business to work together to tackle key societal issues. Alongside government, NGOs are more likely to be seen as a unifying force compared to business and media among those with a sense of moderate or higher grievance.

The study adds that government must prove its competence by delivering results that benefit citizens. Media must prioritise quality information over click-driven content to enable informed decisions.

Business must provide good-paying jobs in local communities and train or reskill employees to be competitive.

How do we restore trust?

According to Tan, business must seize their opportunity to be a catalyst for societal change.

“There has been declining trust in business over the past few years and it is clear that people expect business to do more, and not less, such as by providing good paying jobs and training or reskilling employees to be competitive," she added. 

To rebuild trust, the report found that grievances must be addressed. To lead through this crisis, institutions must understand the economic realities of their stakeholders, champion shared interests, and create opportunities for optimism. 

In addition, those with a higher sense of grievance are more likely to believe that businesses are not doing enough to address societal issues. As such, to navigate these expectations, businesses must understand where they have obligations, act on behalf of the stakeholders, and advocate for their organisation.

Business, government, media, and NGOs must also work together to address the root causes of grievance and enable trust, growth, and prosperity. This may include investing in local communities, quality information, and job skills. In all, institutions must deliver results that benefit everyone fairly. 

Finally, with trust, optimism can overpower grievance. When institutions can’t be trusted to do what is right, grievances fester and outlooks darken. To dissipate grievance and increase optimism, prioritise and rebuild trust across organisations and local communities.

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