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International migration has been part of Singapore since its foundation as a nation. Immigrants to Singapore include work pass holders, students, accompanying family members and permanent residents. Unlike immigrants, emigrants from Singapore are not obliged to apply for passes to exit the country, except for servicemen. The census collects data on foreigners in Singapore, while information on Singapore emigrants started to be collected in the 1990 census. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority and the Ministry of Manpower are the main sources of data on international migration, and the Monetary Authority of Singapore is the primary source of data on remittances. The main issue in Singapore is access to data produced by government agencies.

Singapore introduced structural changes to its elected presidency that reserve an election for minority candidates. Halimah Yaacob then became the country's first female Malay president, after running unopposed. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's siblings were involved in a protracted quarrel over allegations of abuse of power by the prime minister.

In July 2020, Singapore went to the polls amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Though the People's Action Party remained the perennial party-in-power, the opposition Workers' Party made modest electoral gains. The rise of the Workers' Party may usher in a one-and-a-half-party system in the city-state within the next decade or two.

In 2019, Singapore celebrated its bicentennial and reflected on its journey from a British colony engaged in entrepôt trade to a successful sovereign state anchored in ASEAN. The ruling party announced that Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat will be Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's successor. Presumably, Heng will play a key leadership role for his party in Singapore's upcoming general election.

In June, Singapore captured the global spotlight when it hosted the summit meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The regional political environment prompted anxiety, given the leadership transition in Malaysia. Domestically, political leadership transition and the opposition Workers' Party's lawsuit over allegations of mismanagement of town council funds were major issues.

In the "new normal" following the 2011 general election, Singapore seems poised for further development toward liberal democracy. However, the ruling People's Action Party is attempting to reinvent itself and regain its hegemonic position, which requires finding credible solutions for very challenging problems to do with policy, communication, and public image.

This article, a preliminary observation of the kopitiam (coffee shop) in Singapore, argues that the informal and seemingly apolitical kopitiam has engendered a form of political resistance that we have often failed to see. Using a case study, the article examines how local practices could reflect a hitherto neglected understanding of Singaporean politics.

Singapore entered 2016 with post–Lee Kuan Yew era political stability but buffeted by external headwinds that severely dampened its economic growth performance. Ever forward-looking, the island nation planned for its future political succession and its economic future to take advantage of opportunities that will emerge with the new world and regional economic order.

In 2015, Singaporeans voted in parliamentary elections. The incumbent People's Action Party won a landslide victory, in contrast with its performance in the 2011 elections, which had been the worst since Singapore gained independence. The party successfully reinvented itself as a more left-leaning and responsive party in government. Its public image improved by its association with Lee Kuan Yew, who passed away in this jubilee year.