Singapore’s economic sentiment rebounded in Q2 2026 (July 2026), but cost-of-living pressure continues to shape household confidence and spending. SensingSG findings show why policymakers must look beyond headline recovery to the lived experience of different households, while businesses should prepare for consumers who feel more optimistic about the future but remain highly disciplined about price and value.

SensingSG’s Q1 2026 data shows that Singaporeans continue to back the country’s overall direction, with 89% saying it is on the right track. Yet beneath that headline resilience, household sentiment is weakening fast. Economic pessimism has doubled in a single quarter, personal finance confidence has slipped to a two-year low, and the impact of global price shocks is beginning to register more sharply in daily life.

Blackbox’s latest SensingSG data shows that hawker culture remains deeply embedded in everyday Singaporean life, with 95% saying it is important and 69% calling it “very important” or “essential”. Yet this cultural mainstay is entering a more fragile phase. Rising costs, an ageing hawker population and resistance to price increases are creating a structural squeeze, leaving many Singaporeans worried that one of the country’s most defining institutions may slowly fade without more decisive intervention.

High-impact market research requires more than accurate data; it demands strategic storytelling. In Asia’s complex business landscape, insights often fail because they are designed for researchers rather than decision-makers. Blackbox bridges this gap by prioritizing context and executive-ready visualization. We utilize three specific principles to convert market intelligence into high-velocity business results, preventing insights from becoming obsolete.