Racial and religious harmony scores rise in Singapore: IPS study

General trend over past 5 to 10 years shows improvement across broad set of markers

- Tham Yuen-C

The outlook on racial and religious harmony in Singapore has improved in the past five years, with more people here rating the nation's state of harmony as high or very high, a recent study found.

At the same time, levels of trust among people of different races here have also risen, while more people agreed that racial diversity is beneficial for Singapore.

These findings by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and racial harmony advocacy group OnePeople.sg signal a commitment to the ethos of multiculturalism that underpins Singapore society, said Dr Janil Puthucheary, chairman of OnePeople.sg, at a press conference on Feb 3.

While there remain areas of concern — such as variations across racial groups on perceptions of discrimination and a slight decline in cross-race friendships — Singapore has continued to improve across a broad set of markers on racial and religious harmony, he noted.

"When it comes to social cohesion, institutional trust and racial harmony, Singapore stands relatively high compared with many other countries and cities," added Dr Janil, who is also Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information and Health.

"The general trend over the last five to 10 years shows continued improvement — whether in racial harmony, interest in other cultures or acceptance of different religions.

"Across the board, these markers have moved in a positive direction."

For the study, released on Feb 3, researchers polled a representative sample of 4,000 Singaporeans and permanent residents aged 18 and above on race, religion and language between April and August 2024.