An increasing number of Singaporeans are staying single – especially women

• Sep 28, 2018

Wedding bells are not ringing in Singapore, it seems. According to the latest numbers, fewer Singaporean women tied the knot last year compared to a decade ago.

The number of male and female singles across most age groups has increased compared to 10 years ago, the recently released annual Population in Brief report revealed.

The most noticeable increase was among female citizens aged 25 to 29, where the proportion of singles went up from 60.9 per cent in 2007, to 68.1 per cent last year.

A similar pattern was observed among older women as well, though the percentage increase was less significant. For age groups within the 30 to 49 age range, the proportion of single women increased by 3.25 per cent on average.

A detailed chart of the proportions of single citizens across age groups in Singapore. Screenshot / Strategy Group Singapore

Among men, a higher proportion among those aged 25 to 29 were staying single as well, from 77.5 per cent a decade ago to 80.7 per cent last year.

The only exception of a decrease in the proportion of singles was among men aged 30 to 34, down 0.3 percentage points to 40.5 per cent last year.

When it came to having babies, Singapore’s total fertility rate dipped for the seventh year in a row, reaching an all-time-low as the population continues to age.

The Prime Minister’s Office’s Strategy Group, which released the report, attributed the drop partly to a larger cohort of young Singaporeans, aged 19 to 29 last year, who are entering peak childbearing ages but have not yet had children.

The resident total fertility rate fell from 1.20 in 2016 to 1.16 last year. For the population to replace itself without immigration, women need to have an average of 2.1 babies.

Source: https://www.businessinsider.sg/an-increasing-number-of-singaporeans-are-staying-single-especially-women/