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Happiness and Income do not match in Singapore. Trend shows the opposite direction.

 Happiness and Income do not match in Singapore.

Trend shows the opposite direction.


The 2022 Quality of Life Survey shows a sharp downward trend for happiness in Singapore from 2011 to 2022. However, Singaporeans earn more over the same period.   

Higher income lowers happiness? 


Money does not bring us happiness or is there a distribution problem? When the rich get richer and the middle class and poor do not feel the same, this will affect their happiness. If we observe the three past general elections, with the exception of GE 2015’s Lee Kuan Yew factor,  the vote share for the ruling party also indicates a downward trend.


Lee Hsien Loong has been holding the prime ministership for nearly 20 years. Income has increased a lot under his administration but why does happiness not?  Will Lawrenece Wong right the trend and bring more happiness to Singaporeans?  


Lee once said super billionaires bring jobs to Singapore.  And he wants more of them, plenty of them.  Do they bring happiness to Singaporeans?  Some said 2022 was a bad year, war, Covid, but the trend clearly shows a negative relationship between income and happiness.  Perhaps, this is why the English press talked more about work-life balance rather than the trend.    



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