Eighty per cent of people polled in a Straits Times survey said they had a habit of complaining about everything - from weather to traffic to the cost of living.

"Singaporeans complain all the time. It's almost like a national past-time," said 21-year-old undergraduate Wong Kay Wei.

The poll was conducted after Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong said last week that he headed a nation of moaners, who complained in the hope that they could get more out of the government.

Tan Teck Sing, a 40-year-old taxi driver, said modern Singaporeans were more educated and "they know their rights and entitlements, and tend to complain more in the hope that the government will pick up on their comments and improve things".

Although Singaporeans accept they are moaners, the nature of the complaints differs from one generation to another.

While the young grumbled about too much homework, the middle-aged fretted about limited family time, taxes, and the high cost of housing and cars.

Another major gripe was the standard of service, an issue which Goh has also publicly complained about saying it threatened the tourist industry.

"With Singapore pushing ahead for a more efficient society, Singaporeans are becoming more demanding," said Albert Ching, 27.

"They want things fast and instantaneously. When they don't get what they want they may become dissatisfied."

The Straits Times did not give the size of its survey nor a margin of error. -AFP