The Economic History of Singapore

Forthcoming March 2025 - pre-order now!

Keen Meng Choy and Ichiro Sugimoto

Singapore’s transformation from a trading port to a global city offers a compelling case study in long-term economic change. The Economic History of Singapore presents a detailed account of the city-state’s evolving economic roles, from regional entrepôt in the fourteenth century, to colonial port city in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and finally to a global hub for trade, finance, and innovation today.

Drawing on archival sources, statistical data, and historical vignettes, the chapters in this volume offer an engaging and insightful narrative of Singapore’s economic development. It examines key turning points, including the rise of the tin and rubber trades, the shift to export-led industrialisation, and the transition to a knowledge-based and innovation-driven economy. Alongside macroeconomic developments, it also considers shifts in living standards, labour markets, social infrastructure, and the instinct for economic survival that has guided Singapore’s choices across different historical epochs.

As the first comprehensive economic history of Singapore, this volume brings fresh insight into the enduring forces that have shaped the city-state’s development, and reflects on its economic future. It will be a valuable resource for students and researchers of Southeast Asian history and economics, as well as general readers interested in the making of modern Singapore.

Keen Meng Choy has taught and researched economics, econometrics and economic history at universities in Singapore and at Soka University, Japan.

Ichiro Sugimoto is a Professor and Dean at the Faculty of International Liberal Arts, Soka University, and serves as the Representative of the Center for Malaysian Studies and Director of the South Asia Research Center.

Publication Year: 2026
504 pages, 254 x 178mm
16 tables, 33 figures, 6 maps
Hardback
ISBN: 978-981-325-323-0