In a recently published study by Deloitte, it revealed that the state of Singapore leads the Southeast Asian region in terms of social progress. Widely regarded as one of the world's financial center, Singapore snatched a perfect score of 100 points in sanitation and water. This simply reflects the state's commitment to bringing quality public utility service to all of its citizens.
Garnering an overall score of 85.42, Singapore ranked 23rd out of the 146 countries which were included in Deloitte's Social Progress Index. Topping the list are three Scandinavian countries with Norway taking the top spot, Iceland running in second and Switzerland taking the third spot.
Deloitte's study also revealed that Singapore aced most of the categories for public utilities and service. Singapore, also known as the Lion City, scored 99.2 in shelter, 98.25 in access to basic knowledge, 97.60 in terms of nutrition and basic medical care, 95.75 in personal safety, and 90.23 in terms of access to information and communication.
In a statement from Deloitte Singapore and Southeast Asia chief executive officer Philip Yuen, he praised Singapore's status as one of the main hubs when it comes to global finance and business. He added that this particular asset plays a major role in keeping Singapore on top of any list that covers governance and public services.
While these aspects of social services were passed by Singapore with flying colors, some observers have noticed that the country has sacrificed some aspect of individual freedom in order to achieve it. According to the same study, Singapore scores 84.36 when it comes to environmental quality.
The component of this study which caught the attention of many critics is how low Singapore scored when it comes to personal freedom. The country scored a measly 70.88 when it comes to personal rights, and more importantly 53.78 when it comes to inclusiveness. Regarding this particular components, Mr. Yuen said that there will always be room for improvement as the challenges faced by the countries continue to evolve over time as well.
The Deloitte Social Progress Index is a comprehensive study based on a range of various social and environmental indicators. The index aims to gauge three fundamental components of a country's social progress. These components are basic human needs, opportunity, and foundations of well-being. The 2018 Deloitte Social Progress Index used 51 different indicators and subjected 146 countries to the study.
Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines closely follow Singapore in terms of social progress within the Southeast Asian region.
