A recent survey commissioned by Singapore’s Home Affairs Ministry indicated growing support among residents for the death penalty in cases involving “the most serious crimes” such as murder and trafficking a significant amount of drugs.

The ministry said the 2023 survey found that 77.4 percent of the approximately 2,000 respondents aged 15 and above “strongly agreed” or “agreed” that the death penalty should be applied to “the most serious crimes”, up from 73.7 percent in 2021.

Respondents who indicated strong agreement or agreement in the 2023 survey felt that the death penalty deterred...