The S$1 million National Day paradox: ‘money dysmorphia’ amid a wealth surge

Why Singapore’s wealth boom is making the next generation feel poor

    • As National Day approaches, Singapore is a winner by most traditional measures. But despite more people qualifying as millionaires, many do not feel financially secure.
    • As National Day approaches, Singapore is a winner by most traditional measures. But despite more people qualifying as millionaires, many do not feel financially secure. PHOTO: BT FILE
    Published Fri, Jul 31, 2026 · 03:00 PM

    SINGAPORE celebrates another chapter as one of the world’s greatest economic success stories this National Day. We have transformed from a small trading port with no natural resources into one of the world’s strongest sovereign balance sheets in just 61 years.

    Today, more Singaporeans are millionaires than ever before. Rising property values, Central Provident Fund savings, investments and decades of disciplined wealth accumulation have quietly created a nation in which many households have a net worth running into seven figures.

    By almost every traditional measure, Singapore is a winner. Yet whenever I speak to university students, young professionals and mid-career executives, I hear a very different story. They do not feel financially secure. They feel anxious.