Are Singaporeans losing faith in organised religion?

In Your Opinion Podcast

IPS research fellow Melvin Tay discusses the changing nature of religion in Singapore.

Published Nov 04, 2026, 10:00 AM

Updated Nov 04, 2026, 10:00 AM

More Singapore residents report having no religious affiliation, rising from one in five in 2020 to one in four in 2025, according to the Department of Statistics’ latest General Household Survey 2025.

But a separate report by US-based think tank Pew Research found that almost nine in 10 Singapore adults surveyed still believe in God or unseen beings, higher than other South-east Asian countries such as Cambodia and Thailand.

Is this growth in non-affiliation a cause for concern for Singapore, one of the most religiously diverse countries in the world? And what does religion do for us today?

In this episode, host Zachary Lim speaks with Dr Melvin Tay, a research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, to examine the changing religious landscape in Singapore. They also discuss whether religious institutions are losing relevance, and the implications of alternative spiritual practices gaining traction among young people.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:35 Changes in perception of religion over time

5:54 Shift away from institutionalised religion

10:36 Changing modality of engaging with faith

16:00 Singapore’s fast pace of life on religious affiliation

18:32 Young residents on needing tangible benefits from religious experiences

20:27 The global push towards secularisation

26:23 Is Singapore’s religious diversity in jeopardy?

29:41 Emergence of alternative divination and spiritual avenues in Singapore

37:37 Morality, healing, and community beyond institutionalised religions

46:55 Is increasing non-affiliation to religion a cause for concern?

Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH

Host: Zachary Lim ( zachlim@sph.com.sg )

Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai

Editorial producer: Elizabeth Law

Executive producers: Danson Cheong, Lynda Hong

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ST Current Affairs Podcast

你的观点播客

IPS研究员Melvin Tay探讨了新加坡宗教性质的变化。

发布于2026年11月4日上午10:00

更新于2026年11月4日上午10:00

根据新加坡统计局最新发布的《2025 年家庭普查》，越来越多的新加坡居民表示自己没有宗教信仰，这一比例从 2020 年的五分之一上升到 2025 年的四分之一。

但美国智库皮尤研究中心的一份独立报告发现，接受调查的新加坡成年人中，近九成仍然相信上帝或看不见的存在，这一比例高于柬埔寨和泰国等其他东南亚国家。

新加坡是世界上宗教最多元化的国家之一，这种无宗教信仰人数的增长是否令人担忧？宗教在当今社会对我们又有何意义？

在本期节目中，主持人林泽凯与新加坡政策研究所研究员郑文文博士探讨了新加坡宗教格局的变迁。他们还讨论了宗教机构是否正在失去其影响力，以及另类灵修方式在年轻人中日益流行所带来的影响。

亮点（点击/轻触上方）：

1:35 宗教观念随时间的变化

5:54 远离制度化宗教

10:36 改变信仰参与方式

16:00 新加坡快节奏的生活方式与宗教信仰

18:32 年轻居民谈宗教体验需要带来切实的好处

20:27 全球世俗化趋势

26:23 新加坡的宗教多样性是否岌岌可危？

29:41 新加坡另类占卜和灵修途径的兴起

37:37 超越制度化宗教的道德、疗愈与社群

46:55 宗教信仰的淡漠化是否令人担忧？

请阅读《海峡时报》观点版块：https://str.sg/w7sH

主持人：Zachary Lim ( zachlim@sph.com.sg )

制作及剪辑：张同凯

编辑制片人：伊丽莎白·劳

执行制片人：张丹森、洪琳达

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