Singapore PAP wins landslide election with 65.57% vote share
Singapore held its general election on May 3rd, 2025, with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's People's Action Party securing a decisive victory, winning 87 of 97 parliamentary seats and 65.57 percent of the popular vote, up from 61.24 percent in 2020. This was Wong's first election as PAP leader. The opposition Workers' Party retained all 10 of its seats plus gained 2 additional seats through a best-losers mechanism, bringing its total representation to 12 seats including non-constituency members. Voter turnout was 92.83 percent. The election campaign centered on the cost of living, housing affordability, employment, and global trade uncertainty, with the opposition criticizing the PAP's handling of inflation and calling for GST reductions, while the PAP emphasized stability amid global challenges. Electoral boundaries were redrawn ahead of the vote, with opposition parties claiming gerrymandering, though the government said the boundary commission operates independently.
Key facts
- PAP won 87 of 97 seats with 65.57% of the popular vote, up from 61.24% in 2020
- Workers' Party retained all 10 elected seats plus 2 additional non-constituency seats
- Voter turnout was 92.83%, the lowest since 1968
- This was Lawrence Wong's first general election as PAP leader
- Electoral boundaries were redrawn before the election, affecting 88 of 97 constituencies
- Cost of living was the primary voter concern according to January 2025 polling
- A record 211 candidates contested, including 53 women, the highest in Singapore's history
How different outlets framed it
Left-leaning coverage: Progressive and opposition-aligned sources highlight the significant redrawing of electoral boundaries in opposition-stronghold areas as gerrymandering that disadvantages the Workers' Party, despite strong opposition rally turnout and robust policy platforms. They emphasize that rising costs of living and housing unaffordability remain major voter concerns, and that opposition parties struggled against structural disadvantages rather than genuine loss of support.
Right-leaning coverage: Conservative and pro-establishment perspectives frame the PAP victory as a strong endorsement of stable governance and the party's track record in managing Singapore's prosperity. They view the election as voters consciously choosing proven leadership during times of economic volatility and geopolitical uncertainty, rather than embracing untested alternatives, and they emphasize the government's policies on housing and worker protections.
Limits of this briefing
Almost all news media in Singapore is government-run or affiliated, and press freedom groups have documented widespread self-censorship, which may limit diverse perspectives in local reporting. Additionally, the Workers' Party's inability to make gains despite campaigning against the PAP's cost-of-living policies may reflect either genuine voter preferences or structural factors like gerrymandering and the Group Representation Constituency system, which remains contested.
Sources
- Asia Society Policy Institute: Singapore's Ruling Party Wins, but the Opposition Is Here to Stay Centre
- East Asia Forum: People's Action Party prevails in Singapore Centre
- ABC News: People's Action Party wins yet another election by landslide in Singapore Centre
- PBS NewsHour: Singapore's long-ruling party wins another election landslide in boost for new prime minister Centre
- Foreign Policy: Why Singapore's Ruling Party Won Yet Again Left