EconReads
Donate

Curriculum The Economy of Singapore

The Economy of Singapore

How a tiny city-state got rich: overview, independence, attracting multinationals, ports and trade, financial centre, exchange rate policy, CPF, public housing, Temasek and GIC, water, labour and inequality, cars and road pricing, and lessons.

  1. Singapore at a Glance A tiny island city-state with almost no natural resources became one of the world's richest economies within a few decades. 📄 Read-aloud
  2. From Colony to Independence, 1819 to 1965 Founded as a British trading post in 1819, Singapore joined Malaysia and was separated in 1965, becoming independent without any hinterland. 📄 Read-aloud
  3. Attracting Multinationals: The EDB Strategy Instead of protecting local industry, Singapore invited multinational companies, using the Economic Development Board to target sectors and make investing easy. 📄 Read-aloud
  4. Ports, Airports and the Trade Hub Singapore's port is among the world's busiest, and Changi Airport supports its role as a global connector. 📄 Read-aloud
  5. Singapore as a Financial Centre Low taxes, strong rule of law and a stable currency made Singapore a major centre for banking, wealth management and trading. 📄 Read-aloud
  6. Money Without an Interest Rate Policy Unlike most central banks, MAS manages the exchange rate rather than an interest rate, because trade is so large relative to the economy. 📄 Read-aloud
  7. The Economy of Singapore: Checkpoint 1 Quick checkpoint - five questions on the economy of singapore. 5 questions
  8. Forced Savings: The CPF The Central Provident Fund requires workers and employers to contribute part of pay into individual accounts for housing, health and retirement. 📄 Read-aloud
  9. Public Housing for Most: HDB Around eight in ten residents live in flats built by the Housing and Development Board, with ownership on long leases. 📄 Read-aloud
  10. Temasek and GIC: The State as Investor Two state investment firms manage huge portfolios at home and abroad, and are among the world's most-watched sovereign investors. 📄 Read-aloud
  11. Water Security: The Four National Taps With no rivers or lakes to speak of, Singapore built a mix of imported water, local catchment, recycled NEWater and desalination. 📄 Read-aloud
  12. Workers, Foreign Labour and Inequality Singapore relies heavily on foreign workers and has no minimum wage, using targeted schemes for lower-wage citizens. 📄 Read-aloud
  13. Managing Scarcity: COE and Road Pricing Singapore controls car numbers with a quota system and charges for road use to limit congestion in a tiny territory. 📄 Read-aloud
  14. Singapore's Economy: Recap and Lessons Singapore's model combines openness, planning, saving and trust, but also carries costs and unique conditions that others cannot copy. 📄 Read-aloud

Welcome to EconReads

This site is made for visually impaired learners, so our read-aloud reader is already switched on to help you explore hands-free.

You're in control - turn it off any time using the Reader button at the top of the page.

EconReader Ready