Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat delivered the 2018 Budget Statement in Parliament today (Feb 19).

In FY 2018, Singapore's budget position will remain expansionary.

Total expenditure by the Ministries is expected to be $80 billion, or 8.3% higher than in FY2017. On the whole, a slight overall budget deficit of $0.6 billion or 0.1% of GDP is expected.

For the first time in Lee Hsien Loong's tenure as Prime Minister, Transport is set to overtake Education as the second-highest ministry expenditure for FY2018.

Here are the top four highest estimated expenditures for Budget 2018, in billions of SGD:

Defence - 14.8

Transport - 13.7

Education - 12.8

Health - 10.2

The increased expenditure is due to ongoing renewal of rail infrastructure, while projects such as road maintenance and Changi Airport's upcoming T5 expansion are also parked under the Ministry of Transport.

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Smaller health expenditure

Health comes in at fourth place, and is the only one out of the top four to have a smaller estimated budget for 2018 than the revised expenditure figures for 2017.

The government estimates that we will spend about $300 million less on Health than in FY2017.

However, the decrease was attributed to construction projects like the National Centre for Infectious Diseases and the Integrated Development of Sengkang General and Community Hospital nearing completion, and therefore entering a lower-cost phase.

In the long term, healthcare expenditure is still expected to go up as Singapore's population ages.

Healthcare spending is expected to overtake education within the next decade.

Transport expenditure since 2005

All figures are given in billions of SGD. These expenditure estimates exclude special transfers and spending from Government Endowment and Trust Funds.

Revised figures for 2017:

Defence - 14.2

Education - 12.7

Health - 10.5

Transport - 9.0

Revised figures for 2016:

Defence - 13.8

Education - 12.7

Transport - 10.4

Health - 9.8

Revised figures for 2015:

Defence - 13.1

Education - 12.1

Transport - 11.1

Health - 9.2

Revised figures for 2014:

Defence - 12.4

Education - 11.7

Health - 7.2

Transport - 6.0

Revised figures for 2013:

Defence - 12.2

Education - 11.6

Transport - 5.9

Health - 5.8

Revised figures for 2012:

Defence - 11.3

Education - 10.5

Transport - 5.9

Health - 4.8

Revised figures for 2011:

Defence - 11.8

Education - 10.8

Transport - 4.5

Health - 4.0

Revised figures for 2010:

Defence - 11.5

Education - 9.9

Transport - 4.7

Health - 4.1

Revised figures for 2009:

Defence - 11.4

Education - 8.7

Transport - 4.5

Health - 3.7

Revised figures for 2008:

Defence - 10.8

Education - 8.2

Transport - 3.8

Trade and Industry - 3.0

Revised figures for 2007:

Defence - 10.1

Education - 7.5

Home Affairs - 2.8

Health - 2.2

(Transport - 1.9, 6th place)

Revised figures for 2006:

Defence - 10.0

Education - 7.0

Home Affairs - 2.4

Health - 1.9

(Transport - 1.8, 5th place)

Revised figures for 2005:

Defence - 9.3

Education - 6.1

Home Affairs - 2.3

Transport - 1.9

Top image from MOT.

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