I have not looked up the figures, so I'll use yours.Originally posted by spencer99:Hi,
I am not a economist. Just a plain old guy.... I want to ask some questions and trigger some discussion...
Singapore had been reporting GDP growth. But did we actually look at our GDP per capita growth... remember in the past when Goh Chok Tong was PM... he said that we are suppose to achieve Swiss standard of living.... i think the definition of standard of living then was GDP per capita.
I remembered the GDP per capita then was like 20-26k. At that point in time, I think the Swiss' GDP per capita was like 30-35. Right now the Swiss GDP per capita is like > 45k... whereas singapore still around 26k...
So our GDP per capita didn't grow as much.... does that mean that our 'growth' actually come from population growth. Well Singaporean is not really 'producing' enough little Singaporeans. So does that mean that the GDP growth actually come from FTs?
If that is so, maybe that is the political reason why the govt keep encouraging FTs... as they seem to take GDP growth as success....
As Singapore is land and resource scarce, having incremental population growth will only add to more competition of resources and henceforth prices and result in hardship in the incumbet population....
Why do you guys think? Objective answers only.... . no flaming...
Here's a table. We used to be ranked 8 in 1997. After that, we keep falling every year, and now only ranked 28.
Originally posted by Panache1976:Here's a table. We used to be ranked 8 in 1997. After that, we keep falling every year, and now only ranked 28.
Here's the picture

Singapore's GDP per capita is 31k leh, not 26k
I think you want to mean the ranking has been steadily dropping, not the GDP per capita.
errr eagle, you sure the rise is not due to falling USD? Ranking would have been a better guage.
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=USDSGD=X&t=5y
Originally posted by kilua:errr eagle, you sure the rise is not due to falling USD? Ranking would have been a better guage.
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=USDSGD=X&t=5y
Aiyah don't know how they count also lah... Since GDP per capita is about averaging anyway, the average wage did rise in Singapore, and so did the average household income. So think got rise lor.
Unfortunately, i think most of the rise is negated by inflation :(