All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go: Two in five Singaporeans are prepared to migrate

They believe freedom of choice is more important than comfort, safety.

Singapore often scores high in terms of safety, standard of education, and economic status amongst other measures, but a new study released by Ipsos & SSI revealed that a whopping 42% of Singaporeans will still choose to leave the country if given the chance.

Melanie Ng, head of Ipsos' Market Understanding Unit explained that while Singapore is indeed a "fantastic" city to live in, some Singaporeans still believe that freedom of choice and chasing unique interests are more important than the comfort and safety the country can provide.

“In Singapore, a typical complaint is the fast pace of life that is synonymous with city living, and another being the relatively limited opportunities to explore niche careers such as those in arts and music. Hence the impetus to migrate perhaps stems from a person’s desire for a different lifestyle, or for a place where someone’s unique interests are viable career opportunities," she said.

Furthermore, the study found that  although 74% of Singaporeans rated the standard of education here as good or excellent, 56% would still encourage their children to study outside of Singapore if they could afford it.

To this, Ng adds, “While there has been considerable effort put in place to ensure that a university degree is accessible to all Singapore children, studying and living overseas is thought to provide a richer learning experience – opening students up to new cultures and perspectives – and teaching them to be independent and accountable. By going overseas, our students also have the choice to pursue broader study streams that we may not be able to offer at the moment.”