Overview of the Sector Landscape

As our nation progresses, the social service needs have also evolved. In view of this, National Council of Social Service conducted the Quality of Life (QOL) Study to examine the various communities in need through a person-centred and holistic approach. These are some of the trends and changing needs across the various groups we support at Community Chest.

Adults with Disabilities

Despite growing opportunities for persons with disabilities (PWDs), declining public attitudes and limited workplace inclusion remain key challenges.

  • The Ministry of Health (MOH) projects that 1 in 2 healthy Singaporeans aged 65 today could become severely disabled in their lifetime1.
  • 68.9% of respondents reported positive attitudes towards PWDs in 2023, compared to 76.8% in 20192.
  • The median income among PWDs continued to grow over the years, rising from $2,630 in 2018/2019 to $4,242 in 2022/20233.
  • Despite the benefits, inclusive hiring remains the exception. Today, only over 7,000 companies have hired PWDs4.

Sources:
1 Protect yourself against long-term care costs with CareShield Life, Careshield Life
2 Public Attitudes Towards Persons with Disabilities Study (PAS), 2023, NCSS
3 Disability Trends Report Dec 2024, Ministry of Social and Family Development 4 Report by the Enabling Masterplan 2030 Taskforce on Promoting Inclusive Employment Practices, 2024
Children with Special Needs and Youth-at-Risk
Dedicated programmes and early intervention have empowered children with special needs and youths at risk to thrive and realise their potential.

  • There were about 36,000 students with special education needs (SEN) in 2023 80% in mainstream schools 20% supported in SPED schools1.
  • The proportion of SPED school graduates progressing to employment, further studies at Institutes of Higher Learning, or further training, increased from 51.3% in 2016 to 57.0% in 20232.
  • 17,000 youths do not have access to education, work or training3.
  • The youth offending rate remains low compared to other countries at an average of 5.2 per 1,000 youths from 2019 to 2023. This can be attributed to the strong partnership among Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), Government agencies, youths’ families and community partners to help steer youths away from committing offences.4

Sources:
1,2 Disability Trends Report Dec 2024, MSF
3 Labour Force Survey 2024, Ministry of Manpower
4 Supporting Youth Rehabilitation Trends Report 2024, Ministry of Social and Family Development
Families in Need of Assistance
Holistic family support for lower-income households to achieve stability and resilience.

  • Starting with 1,000 children in 2016, KidSTART has expanded to support almost 10,000 children in 20241.
  • 85% of ComLink+ families with children aged three to six enrolled all their children in Preschools. However, among families that enrolled their children in anchor operator preschools (AOP), only 26% sent all their children to preschool regularly, with an average monthly attendance rate of 75% or higher in 20232.
  • In 2024, a total of 7,382 marriages ended in a divorce or an annulment, a 3.7% increase from the 7,118 marital dissolutions in 20233.

Sources:
1 Supporting Lower-Income Households Trends Report 2024, Ministry of Social and Family Development
2 Supporting Lower-Income Households Trends Report, Nov 2024, MSF
3 Statistics on Marriages and Divorces Press Release, 2024, Department of Statistics
Persons with Mental Health Conditions
As mental health needs increasingly affect daily lives, especially for youths, it is vital to strengthen support at every level - from community awareness and early intervention to clinical care.

  • Mental health disorders are one of the top four leading causes of disease burden here in Singapore1.
  • Respondents reported a range of mental health needs from Well (48%), Mild (26%), Moderate (19%) and Severe (7%)2
  • For the sixth consecutive year, suicide has persisted as the leading cause of death amongst youths aged 10 to 293.
  • Young people with higher levels of resilience, perceived social support, and self-esteem were less likely to experience severe or extremely severe symptoms of depression, anxiety and/or stress4.

Sources:
1 Speech by Dr Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Manpower, at the Singapore Mental Health Conference 2025
2 Study on Quality of Life and Mental Health, 2025, NCSS
3 Report on Registration of Births and Deaths 2024”, ICA (Provisional data)
4 National Youth Mental Health Study, Institute of Mental Health, 2024
Seniors in Need of Support
With a growing senior population facing health and isolation challenges, building stronger community support networks remains essential to seniors aging actively in place with dignity and grace.
  • By 2030, Singapore will have 1 million seniors aged 65 and above, with possibly half of them living with a chronic disease1.
  • Among the age groups, Singapore residents in the oldest age band (60 to 74 years) (51.2%) were least willing to seek help from healthcare professionals for mental health needs2.
  • The number of elderly residents living alone in households more than doubled from 42,100 in 2014 to 87,200 in 20243.
  • People aged 60, who perceive themselves to be sometimes lonely or mostly lonely, can expect to live three to five years less, on average, compared to peers who perceive themselves as never lonely4.

Sources:
1 Keynote address by Minister for Health Mr Ong Ye Kung at the Community Care Workplan Seminar, 28 May 2025
2 National Population Health Survey 2023, Ministry of Health
3 Family Trends Report 2025, Ministry of Social and Family Development
4 Malhotra R, Tareque MI, Saito Y, Ma S, Chiu C-T, Chan A. Loneliness and health expectancy among older adults: A longitudinal population-based study. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2021;1–11.

Find out more about the measuring the impact or view the full FY2024 Impact Report (PDF).

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Last Updated on 16 Nov 2023