The review period has been marked by the appointment of Lawrence Wong as new prime minister from the ruling party, who previously worked as finance minister. Meanwhile, Singapore has once again tightened freedom of speech and increased its control over public discourse.
When Singapore completely lifted COVID-19 restrictions as one of the first countries in Asia, its economy experienced a significant rebound, ensuring a persistent healthy economy. Overall, the city-state performs strongly in terms of competitiveness as well as political and operational stability, and is one of the largest recipient of foreign direct investment globally.
While freedom of speech was further curtailed, there was some modest progress in terms of civil rights as the government abandoned legislation that had previously criminalized male homosexual activity. Despite Singapore’s high degree of development, the country remains characterized by significant inequality.
