SINGAPORE: Candidates in the 2025 General Election spent more than S$13.05 million (US$10.24 million) on their campaigns, a 42.4 per cent jump from the S$9.16 million declared in the 2020 polls.
Nearly half of this year’s spending went to non-online advertising such as posters, banners and flyers, according to expense declarations on the Elections Department’s (ELD) website on Friday (Jun 27). The disclosures were released after candidate submissions were published in the Government Gazette.
The People’s Action Party (PAP) was the biggest spender, with total declared expenses of S$9.4 million, outspending all rivals in every contested constituency. Among the opposition, the Workers’ Party (WP) led with S$1.64 million in declared expenses.
Candidates had until Jun 16 to submit detailed declarations of their election spending – a requirement under Singapore law to ensure financial transparency and accountability of candidates’ election finances. The ELD confirmed that all 211 candidates met this deadline.
WHERE THE MONEY WENT
Candidates spent a combined S$6.24 million on non-online advertising, an 11.4 per cent increase from the S$5.6 million spent on print advertising in the previous election.
Spending on online advertisements, such as paid content on social media and websites, rose slightly to S$2.13 million, up from S$2 million in 2020.
This year’s election also saw the return of physical rallies, which were paused in the previous election due to pandemic restrictions. Candidates spent S$1.72 million to organise a total of 48 rallies across the campaign period.
Political analysts said the return to in-person campaigning reflects the enduring importance of face-to-face engagement in Singapore’s elections.
“Singapore’s electoral norms still emphasise in-person events and face-to-face contact,” said Associate Professor Chong Ja Ian, who teaches political science at the National University of Singapore (NUS).
The 2020 election was seen as a “one-off” with no rallies, and it was not surprising that rallies and physical ads continue to form a significant proportion of election spending, he added.
The traditional methods of campaigning have proven to be effective in the past, said Dr Mustafa Izzuddin, a senior international affairs analyst at policy and business consultancy Solaris Strategies Singapore. There is a belief that elections are “not won on the internet, but rather on the ground”, he said.
It may also be that a more conventionally physical campaign is more expensive than a non-traditional online campaign, he added.
Independent analyst Felix Tan said parties may have favoured physical ads because they reach a wider group of people, such as seniors who could be less active online.
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HOW MUCH DID PARTIES SPEND?
PAP, which contested all 97 seats in 18 Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) and 15 Single Member Constituencies (SMCs), spent S$9.4 million – with 42.8 per cent, or S$4.03 million, going to non-online advertisements.
The ruling party also spent S$2.04 million on online advertisements and S$1.05 million on rallies.
WP, which fielded 26 candidates in eight constituencies, spent S$1.64 million – nearly 70 per cent, or S$1.14 million, was dedicated to non-online…
Explain It To Me Like I’m 5: In Singapore’s 2025 General Election, candidates spent over S$13 million on their campaigns, with the ruling People’s Action Party being the biggest spender, primarily using traditional advertising methods like posters and rallies.
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