"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