Singapore consumers' inflation expectations drop to lowest level in over 3 years: SMU survey

The latest findings to SMU’s Singapore Index of Inflation Expectations (SInDEx), which surveyed a sample of 500 individuals online in March, revealed that consumers expect a headline inflation rate of 3.05 per cent for the year ahead, down from the previous survey's 3.52 per cent in December last year. This is the lowest rate recorded since the quarterly survey was first started by the SMU Sim Kee Boon Institute for Financial Economics in September 2011. SMU said that despite a tight labour market and consequent pass-through costs, those polled “perceive that overall prices from imported inflation have moderated enough” to warrant lower inflation expectations. SMU Assistant Professor of Finance (Education) Aurobindo Ghosh, who also co-created SInDEx, said: “Domestic factors such as the impending supply glut in COE quota and upcoming additional supply of accommodation, lower than expected pass-through costs despite tight labour market and medical subsidies have brought down inflation expectations.”