Singapore

Analysis

Singapore is a middle power in Asia.

The city-state’s overall score declined by 1.1 points compared to 2021.

Singapore remains a standout performer relative to its small size and population. The city-state is highly networked and externally focused, achieving its highest ranking of fourth place for economic relationships. Singapore is also the only country to break into the top five for defence networks without any formal alliance commitments, reflecting the depth and diversity of its non-allied security partnerships in the region.

However, Singapore’s success and small size pose unique strategic challenges. Its lowest ranking — 14th place — occurs in the resilience measure as a result of being amongst the least energy self-sufficient countries in the region. Singapore’s resilience ranking declined by a further two places in 2022, reflecting its poor resource security.

Singapore, however, recorded improvements in its economic capability and military capability, rising one place in each measure to sixth and ninth, respectively.

Singapore exerts more influence in the region than expected given its available resources, as indicated by the country’s positive power gap score. While Singapore is a net overachiever in Asia, its positive power gap continued to deteriorate in 2022.

Read more analysis in the Key Findings report. Explore further results in the Scores section.