Singapore will head to the polls on May 3, the Election Commission announced Tuesday, as the city-state faces rising economic pressures and uncertainty stemming from new U.S. tariffs.
The general election will be the first major political test for Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who succeeded long-serving leader Lee Hsien Loong as head of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) in May 2024.
“We are witnessing profound global changes,” Wong said in a statement posted to social media. “The world is becoming more uncertain, unsettled, and even unstable. The global conditions that enabled Singapore’s success over the past decades may no longer hold. That is why I have called this General Election—so that Singaporeans can choose the team to lead us into the future.”
While the PAP is widely expected to retain power—as it has in every election since independence in 1965—analysts will be closely watching its share of the popular vote, especially after its weaker showing in the 2020 election.
The vote comes at a challenging time economically. Singapore recently cut its 2025 growth forecast from 1–3% to a more cautious 0–2%, citing concerns that a new round of U.S. tariffs under President Donald Trump could hit the trade-dependent economy hard. Wong has warned that the 10% base tariffs appear non-negotiable and may prompt companies to shift operations to the U.S., potentially leading to job losses at home.
In recent years, the PAP has faced growing pressure from opposition parties, which have made steady gains. The opposition captured six parliamentary seats in both the 2011 and 2015 elections, and 10 in 2020—its strongest result to date.
This election will see an expanded Parliament, with 97 members to be elected across 15 single-member constituencies and 18 group representation constituencies (each with 4 or 5 members).
Wong is expected to introduce at least 30 new candidates, marking the largest refresh of the PAP’s slate under a new prime minister. Candidate nominations will be finalized on April 23.
In February, Wong unveiled what many analysts described as “a full-blown election budget,” offering a range of benefits aimed at households and businesses in a bid to shore up support ahead of the polls.
