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.

Gen Z Singaporeans are emerging as one of the most influential consumer groups today, but not in the ways you might expect. New insights from Blackbox’s latest SensingSG wave highlight surprising shifts in sentiment, trust, and engagement among under-30s. From their outlook on the future to how they interact with brands and technology, this generation is quietly but decisively reshaping the rules. Here are five key ways they could be rewriting the consumer playbook.

Singaporeans Steady at Home, Uneasy Abroad
SensingSG’s Q2 2025 data paints a picture of a confident Singapore — 90% say the country is on the right track, and personal financial sentiment continues to improve post-GE2025. Yet, this domestic optimism contrasts with growing unease abroad. Trump’s tariffs have soured sentiment toward the U.S., with 1 in 3 reducing spending on American goods. Meanwhile, Chinese brands are rising fast, beating out some American competitors, and reflecting a shifting trust landscape that’s beginning to shape everyday choices at home.

As GE2025 approaches, the latest SensingSG findings show rising voter engagement, strong leadership approval for PM Wong and the Workers Party's Pritam Singh, and cost of living as the top electoral issue. Find out how Singaporeans are thinking, feeling, and preparing to vote.