Singapore’s medical inflation to stay at 12% in 2025, same as 2024—survey

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s medical inflation is expected to stay at 12% in 2025, the same as in 2024, according to a new report by WTW, a global advisory, broking and solutions company.

While the city-state’s medical inflation may be slightly cooling, it is projected to remain high for the long term, as reported by Asian Insurance Review.

The main factors driving the increase in Singapore’s medical costs are still the same as in previous years, according to the 2025 Global Medical Trends Survey report.

These include high real estate costs, rising healthcare talent expenses, and Singapore’s status as a top medical treatment hub in the Asia Pacific region.

Still, the government is focused on improving the health of the city-state’s population.

Audrey Tan, Head of Health & Benefits for Southeast Asia and Singapore at WTW, said companies should prioritise workforce well-being, focusing strongly on preventive care.

“The focus is to build a future-ready workforce that is ready for challenges ahead, especially to cater for the varying demographics in today’s workplace,” she explained.

The Ministry of Health has rolled out the updated Industry Transformation Map 2025 for healthcare, revising the plan first introduced in 2017.

The goals include improving the digitisation of healthcare, making better use of data for research, and attracting and retaining healthcare professionals.

The initiative also aims to provide employees with more resources to help them understand the importance of maintaining their health, supported by quality, patient-focused and affordable care.

Regionally, Singapore’s projected 12% medical inflation for 2025 is slightly below the Asia-Pacific average of 12.3%. Meanwhile, Asia Pacific is expected to have the highest medical inflation globally in 2025, compared to the global average of 10.4%. /TISG

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