Singapore To Hold Election On May 3

Singapore’s election commission has announced that the country will hold a national election on May 3. This comes as concerns grow over the rising cost of living and possible recession linked to U.S. tariffs.

This will be the first major election for Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who took over from long-time leader Lee Hsien Loong as head of the People’s Action Party (PAP) in May 2024.

“We are witnessing profound changes in the world. It is becoming more uncertain, unsettled and even unstable. The global conditions that enabled Singapore’s success over the past decades may no longer hold,” Wong said on social media.

“That is why I have called this General Election. At this critical juncture, Singaporeans should decide on the team to lead our nation, and to chart our way forward together.”

The PAP is expected to keep its majority in parliament, as it has in every election since Singapore’s independence in 1965. Still, analysts will closely watch the party’s share of the popular vote after it had its weakest showing in the 2020 elections.

The vote comes during a time of economic pressure. U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs have created uncertainty for Singapore’s trade-reliant economy. On Monday, the government lowered its growth forecast for 2025 to between 0% and 2%, from the previous estimate of 1% to 3%.

Prime Minister Wong has said the 10% base tariffs from the U.S. seem to be final, warning that they could cause job losses if companies choose to move operations to the U.S.

The ruling party has faced more competition in recent years. The opposition gained six seats in both the 2011 and 2015 elections, and added ten more in 2020.

This year’s election will include four more seats than in 2020. Voters will elect 97 lawmakers: 15 from single-member districts and the rest from group constituencies with four or five members each.

Wong is expected to introduce over 30 new candidates, marking the largest refresh of the party’s lineup under a new prime minister. These candidates will be officially announced on nomination day, April 23.

In February, Wong announced a national budget that analysts have described as “a full-blown election budget,” offering benefits for all Singaporeans ahead of the vote.