Singapore plunged into recession in the second quarter as the economy contracted more than 40 percent, preliminary data showed Tuesday, with the trade-dependent city state hammered by coronavirus in another ominous sign for the global recovery.

The economy shrank 41.2 percent quarter-on-quarter and 12.6 percent year-on-year between April and June, according to data from the trade ministry, and analysts said it was the worst quarterly figure for gross domestic product ever recorded in Singapore.

It marked the second consecutive quarter of contraction, meaning the city state has entered a recession for the first time since 2009, when it was hard hit during the global financial crisis.

Singapore is one of the world's most open economies and is seen as a barometer for the health of global trade, and the dismal figures are another warning sign that the global economy is heading for a deep and painful downturn.

The worse-than-expected figures will also ring alarm bells for Asia's many trade-dependent economies.

AFP