Though it is rather unlikely for beggars to be on the streets, or
starving children roaming around for food, in Singapore, just like every other
country, Singapore still has its poor. With people basking, collecting garbage
for sale, etc. However, compared to many other less-developed countries,
poverty in Singapore can be considered as non-prevalent.
- What is the poverty rate in Singapore?
- How has it changed over the years?
- Our
poverty rate compared to other countries?
The poor
here struggle with ‘relative poverty’, where financial resources aren’t
sufficient to pay for the necessities of living in Singapore, where the
standard of living is very high. The poverty line (though not defined by the
government) in Singapore would be an income of less than S$1500 per month. With
458,257 people living under the poverty line, according to CPF Annual Report in
2011 (the government omitting info from 2012), 26% of Singaporeans are living
in poverty.
From
2002-2011, the poverty rate increased by 1% on average per year. As of 2011,
the proportion of people living in poverty and of high-income has grown,
whereas middle-class has shrunk tremendously.
The poor suffered as more people got wealthy, the
standard of living only getting higher, causing more people to fall into
poverty as well.
Among the developed countries and others around our region, we have one of the highest poverty rates!
Among the developed countries and others around our region, we have one of the highest poverty rates!
The factors impacting the poor’s plight often involve systemic issues like housing and employment, which may take many generations to overcome, however some concrete things can be done. Programmes like money-management workshops can allow children to grasp the concept of money and how to use it wisely, and be successful in the future.
sources:
http://thehearttruths.com/2013/10/28/poverty-in-singapore-grew-from-16-in-2002-to-28-in-2013/
http://www.mws.org.sg/Dispatcher?action=SocialIssueTopic&id=Sc12ce388725076
