'I wake up every day feeling grateful to live here': Foreigner baffled by why many S'poreans want to leave country

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Foreigner asks why many Singaporeans want to leave country

A 22-year-old Swedish expat in Singapore has sparked a lively debate online after questioning why so many Singaporeans dream of leaving the country.

Posting on r/askSingapore on Sunday (2 Mar), the man, who moved to Singapore two years ago, shared that he wakes up every day feeling grateful to live here and wondered why many Singaporeans want to leave the country and Asia in general.

Source: Ravish Maqsood on Canva

“I wake up every day feeling grateful to live here,” he wrote.

However, he noticed “strong desire among many Singaporeans to leave”, particularly to countries that are “vastly different from Singapore”.

Struggles to understand why people want to leave Singapore

The OP expounded:

It surprises me because I genuinely love this place, and I struggle to understand why so many people feel such a strong urge to leave their own country.

He noted that he may have come to this conclusion due to his acquaintances, who are mostly in their 20s and going through a “temporary phase” in their lives.

The OP then compared this to his home country, Sweden, where he rarely hears people express a desire to leave.

Curious about the reasons behind this sentiment, he asked Redditors whether it was due to cultural differences, economic pressures, or simply a generational mindset.

Redditors share perspectives on why people leave

The post quickly gained traction, with many Singaporeans offering their perspectives.

One common answer is that Singapore is too small for people who want a drastic change in environment or those seeking adventure, with some adding they always run into someone they know.

Source: Reddit

Many also mentioned the fast-paced lifestyle, the daily grind, and the high cost of living in Singapore, citing they have friends who moved to different places who are able to afford a better lifestyle and work-life balance with less money.

Source: Reddit

Meanwhile, some commented that those who want to leave the country probably share the same mindset as OP when he left Sweden.

Source: Reddit

They also pointed out a key difference: as a foreigner, he has the option to return home if things don’t work out, whereas many Singaporeans lack that safety net.