Singapore

Singapore’s inflation rate rose for a second straight month, year on year, with price growth in October scaling a near 1-year high and topping analysts’ expectations. After reaching a 4-year low in August, consumer prices rose 1.2% — highest since August 2024 — compared with the average 0.9% estimated by economists polled by Reuters and the 0.7% rise in September. Core inflation in the city-state — which strips out prices of accommodation and private transport — also rose to 1.2%, up from 0.4% and compared with the 0.7% expected in the Reuters poll. On a month-on-month basis, the consumer price index was flat, with core inflation coming at 0.5% compared to the prior month. Headline inflation was fueled by a 3.4% increase in transport prices alongside higher core inflation....

India’s retirement income system continues to trail global best practices, as the Global Pension Index 2025 ranks India with a D-grade and a score of 43.8 out of 100 — notably behind top-performing systems.   According to the Global Pension Index 2025, published by Mercer and the CFA Institute, few nations have cracked the code on balancing adequacy, sustainability, and trust — with the Netherlands, Iceland, and Denmark once again leading, and India, Philippines, and Thailand among those lagging far behind. "The research highlights significant diversity between systems around the world, with index scores ranging from 43.8 to 85.4. The Netherlands, Iceland, Denmark, Singapore, and Israel rank highest. These nations offer strong benefits, sound regulation, and solid as...

Singapore has once again claimed the top spot in this year’s Economic Freedom Index, becoming the world’s freest economy, which continues to show resilience and prosperity. Switzerland is in second place, followed by Ireland. Taiwan ranks fourth, marking its highest position ever. Meanwhile, India stands behind at 128, reflecting significant challenges in the domestic economic environment. In this year’s rankings, there are a few shifts among the top economies. The 2025 Index reviewed the economic policies of 184 countries from July 2023 to June 2024. It found that the global economy, as a whole, remains “mostly unfree”. The average economic freedom score worldwide rose slightly from 58.6 last year to 59.7 this year. The 2025 Economic Freedom I...