More Singapore residents are saying goodbye to cars & condos, in favour of mental wellbeing & quality time

Most residents surveyed also relate to being compassionate, with 71% believing there should be greater equality among the different ethnicities, genders, sexualities, and economic statuses.

Country club memberships, a car, a credit card —Singapore residents today are moving away from these extrinsic motivators in favour of more values-driven priorities, a new survey by Circles.Life has found.

According to the survey, which involved over 1,000 residents (90% of which were Singapore citizens and permanent residents), mental wellbeing is now taking precedence over owning a condo, and even owning a car. In particular, the top three most important priorities Singapore residents cited are:

1. Having good mental wellbeing (70%)
2. Spending time with those who matter the most (66%)
3. Being able to live carefreely and just go with the flow (45%)

On the other hand, the top three least important priorities Singapore residents cited are:

1. Being part of an exclusive club (90%)
2. Owning a car (74%)
3. Owning a credit card (69%)

Interestingly, the survey also noted that the youngest generation of the lot — the Gen Zs — as well as the oldest of the lot — Baby Boomers — value mental health, with 69% and 74% respectively ranking it their top life priority.

Meanwhile, 70% of Gen Xs ranked it a top priority, followed by 68% of Millennials who did so.

The generations' rankings of the remaining most important priorities were as follows:

• Spending time with those who matter the most
  • Gen Zs - 67%
  • Millennials - 64%
  • Gen Xs - 63%
  • Baby Boomers - 72%
• Being able to live carefreely and just go with the flow
  • Gen Zs - 45%
  • Millennials - 44%
  • Gen Xs - 45%
  • Baby Boomers - 46%

The new 5Cs Singapore residents may be after

In line with the above, the survey identified five new values-based 'Cs' that residents in Singapore may be seeking: Compassion, carefree, connected, courageous, and creative.

Per the findings, being compassionate is the value that Singaporeans most relate to, with 74% saying they'd like to lend a helping hand to those going through times of difficulty, and 71% believing there should be greater equality among the different ethnicities, genders, sexualities, and economic statuses.

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For the purpose of this survey, Gen Zs are aged 18-25; Millennials 26-41; Gen Xs 42-47, and Baby Boomers 58-76 as of 2022.

Image / Shutterstock

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