Public Cleanliness Satisfaction Dips in Singapore as NEA Deploys New Cleaning Technology

Public satisfaction with cleanliness in Singapore fell to 91 per cent in 2025 from 94 per cent in 2023, according to the seventh edition of the Public Cleanliness Satisfaction Survey conducted by Singapore Management University. The study, which surveyed 2,007 citizens and permanent residents, found that satisfaction declined across all six surveyed domains, including transportation nodes, leisure venues, commuter paths, spaces after public events, neighbourhood spaces, and food outlets. Neighbourhood spaces saw the steepest decline, falling from 93.3 per cent to 87.4 per cent, with void decks, corridors, and lift lobbies recording the largest drop among all 20 public spaces surveyed. Satisfaction with public toilets also fell sharply, particularly in coffee shops, where satisfaction tumbled from 60.2 per cent in 2023 to 48.3 per cent in 2025. Researchers suggested the decline could be due to rising expectations, increased waste from deliveries, or manpower costs affecting cleaning services. In response to cleanliness challenges and the need for productivity, the National Environment Agency (NEA) has expanded the use of autonomous pavement sweepers in parks such as Esplanade Park and East Coast Park. The NEA stated these robots could potentially deliver up to 30 per cent productivity savings for routine cleaning. Additionally, the agency is using tracing software to identify high rise litterbugs and has taken hundreds of enforcement actions against coffee shop owners for poor toilet maintenance. Despite the dip in overall satisfaction, the NEA reported a high average rate of tray and crockery return in the first half of 2026, and the SMU survey noted that more residents feel personally responsible for keeping shared spaces clean.