"The world does not owe us a living."

— Finance Minister Lim Kim San, 1966

"We will always have your backs."

— Finance Minister Lawrence Wong, 2024

What changed?

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Turns out, a lot has.

We dissect 67 Singapore Budget Statements to trace how the language of the social compact has shifted.

↑
Promise to you
Promise to firms
↓
Ask of you
Ask of firms
How to read this The early decades The turning point How did the vocab change? Explore the data
Data & methodology