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Some seven in 10 Singapore residents feel positive about their overall quality of life post-pandemic.

This is according to findings from an online poll commissioned by the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI).

The poll was conducted to better understand the overall impact of Covid-19 on Singaporeans, MCI said in a press release on Sunday, Mar. 19.

A total of 1,052 Singapore residents aged 15 years and above participated in the online poll, which was conducted by Singapore-based research organisation, RySense.

The survey was carried out from Jan. 21 to Feb. 6, 2023.

72 per cent rated overall quality of life as the same or better

In comparing the quality of life now versus before the pandemic, 10 key aspects of life – from relationships with neighbours, to achieving work-life balance and being able to manage one's physical, mental, and financial needs – were surveyed.

About 72 per cent of Singaporeans shared that their overall quality of life in 2023, as compared to before the pandemic in 2019, felt "the same or better".

Notably, 77 per cent of respondents reported that their family relationships became stronger or remained the same over the pandemic, while 71 per cent reported the same when it came to relationships with friends.

In addition, 82 per cent of respondents reported that their relationships with their neighbours had become stronger or the same.

Generally, over 70 per cent of Singaporeans felt that they were still able to or got stronger in managing their physical and mental health, as well as finances, after the pandemic.

Positive trend towards overall quality of life today

When asked to rate their overall quality of their lives now, nearly seven in 10 (69 per cent) of Singaporeans also rated it as “Good” or “Very Good”.

Ratings of “Poor or “Very Poor” were generally low across the 10 aspects of life that respondents were polled on.

Even among those 28 per cent who felt that their overall quality of life was worse compared to before the pandemic, at least six in 10 rated them same or higher when asked to rate 10 aspects of their current lives.

This is suggestive of a general recovery, the MCI press release said.

About seven in 10 Singaporeans also expressed confidence in the ability of the country, the government, the healthcare system, the community, and in themselves to manage future pandemics well.

Most notably, trust among citizens was strengthened, with 69 per cent indicating that they would be confident in Singaporeans helping each other out through the pandemic.

Youths and unemployed more impacted by Covid-19

There were also differences in the sentiment towards post-pandemic overall quality of life, based on age.

According to MCI, a higher proportion of youths aged 15 to 19 years (38 per cent) reported a drop in their quality of life, as well as in their ability to manage their mental health (37 per cent) after the pandemic, compared to the general population.

MCI noted that this might suggest that the impact of Covid-19 restrictions on social activities were more significant for the youth, especially teenagers.

Compared to the general population, respondents with multiple dependents were also more likely to rate their overall quality of life now to be “Poor” or “Very Poor".

These included respondents who live with elderly seniors, as well as children in the household.

About 18 per cent of Singaporeans living with more than one dependent rated their overall quality of life now as "Poor" or "Very Poor", as compared to 10 per cent for the general population.

Respondents who were unemployed also expressed lower confidence in Singapore’s ability to get through another pandemic in the future (16 per cent), as compared to 7 per cent among the general population.

White Paper on Singapore's response to Covid-19

The poll results reporting the general sentiments of Singaporeans towards life post-pandemic follows the White Paper on Singapore's response to Covid-19, which was released by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Mar. 8.

The White Paper draws on insights from an internal review by former Head of Civil Service Peter Ho and the findings from after-action reviews by government agencies.

It highlights the successes of Singapore's nation-wide responses, and outlines areas of improvement for the next pandemic.

Top images via Unsplash and Singapore Botanic Gardens Facebook