周四，新加坡政府官方宣布，国家第一季度经济增长速度明显放缓，增长值仅为1.6%。政府官员表示，这是由于欧洲经济状况持续萧条所造成的全球经济萎靡。不言而喻，新加坡也深受其负面影响。
新加坡贸易产业部在一份报告中称，1月至3月之间，GDP增长1.6%，从去年第四季度的3.6%下降了2个百分点，其中制造业下滑1%。
财政部补充道，欧洲的政治和财政动荡可能恶化债务危机并使全球经济放缓。
“此阶段，混乱的欧元区主权国债务违约可能性无法排除，”财政部表示。“如果违约真的发生，全球经济将会遭遇相当严重的大滑坡，新加坡的外向型产业也将难逃厄运。”
新加坡的经济主要依靠制造业、金融业及旅游业等多元化产业的蓬勃发展，以此维持岛国520万人民享受全球最优的生活水平。由于国内市场相当狭小，所以，新加坡的经济发展主要依赖国际贸易。
但是，财政部对今年增长1~3%的预测仍然不变。
在季节性调整之后，第一季度的GDP比上一年第四季度有所增长，并避免10月至12月间的衰退下跌2.5%，是经济状况改善的迹象。另外，自去年第一季度以来，建筑业萎缩32%。
这份第一季度增长数据报表同财政部上月公布的财政预报情况几乎如出一辙。
Singapore's economic growth slowed in the first quarter as the government warned Thursday that political upheaval in Europe threatens to undermine the global economy.
Gross domestic product expanded 1.6 percent in the January to March period from a year earlier, down from 3.6 percent in the fourth quarter, the Trade and Industry Ministry said in a statement. Manufacturing dropped 1 percent.
Political and fiscal turmoil in Europe could worsen the continent's debt crisis and slow the global economy, the ministry said.
"A disorderly sovereign debt default in the eurozone cannot be ruled out at this stage," the ministry said. "If it materializes, there will be considerable downsides for the global economy and Singapore's externally oriented industries."
Singapore relies on manufacturing, finance and tourism to provide the island nation of 5.2 million people one of the world's highest standards of living. With a tiny domestic market, the city-state depends on international trade and is vulnerable to volatile global demand.
The ministry said it left unchanged its growth forecast for this year of 1 percent to 3 percent.
There were signs of improvement in the economy as GDP grew a seasonally adjusted, annualized 10 percent in the first quarter compared with the fourth quarter, avoiding a recession after falling 2.5 percent in the October to December period, the ministry said. Construction jumped 32 percent from the fourth quarter.
The first quarter growth figures were almost the same as preliminary results announced by the ministry last month.
