SINGAPORE — Fewer couples got married while more chose to part ways in Singapore last year, according to the Ministry of Social and Family Development’s (MSF) latest family trends report released today.
Channel News Asia reported that a total of 26,328 marriages were registered in 2024, down 7 per cent from 28,310 in 2023. Civil marriages saw the biggest decline, with a sharper drop among those aged 25 to 34 — the age group that traditionally makes up the bulk of newlyweds.
Among brides aged 25 to 34, 15,213 got married in 2024, compared to 16,707 the year before — a fall of 8.9 per cent. For grooms in the same age group, numbers dipped 9 per cent, from 14,956 in 2023 to 13,615 last year.
Muslim marriages also declined slightly to 5,184 in 2024, from 5,396 in the previous year. This was largely attributed to fewer marriages involving grooms aged 30 to 34 and 45 and older, and brides in their 30s and early 40s.
One factor contributing to the slowdown in marriages is the rising age of first-time brides and grooms. Over the past decade, the median age at first marriage rose from 30.2 to 31.1 for grooms and from 28.2 to 29.6 for brides.
At the same time, the number of marriages ending in divorce or annulment increased by 3.7 per cent — from 7,118 cases in 2023 to 7,382 in 2024.
The median age at divorce has also crept upwards. In 2024, male divorcees were on average 44.4 years old, up from 42.6 in 2014. Female divorcees had a median age of 40.9, compared to 38.4 a decade ago.
The typical duration of marriage before divorce rose to 11.1 years, from 10.4 years in 2014. Most divorces — about 29 per cent — occurred among couples married for five to nine years.
Yet despite the uptick, the data suggests that newer marriage cohorts are more stable.
Among couples who married between 2006 and 2013, the likelihood of divorcing before their 10th anniversary has fallen. For example, 14.4 per cent of couples married in 2013 had split within 10 years, compared to 17 per cent for those who married in 2005.
"This signifies greater marriage stability among recent cohorts of married couples," the MSF noted.
It added that the "most significant improvement was seen in the fall in dissolution rates for Muslim marriages," even though divorce rates for Muslim marriages remain higher than those for civil marriages.
“The gap has narrowed significantly for more recent marriage cohorts,” the ministry said.
The trend of delayed family formation continues beyond marriage. The median age of first-time fathers rose to 33.6 years in 2024, up from 32.9 in 2014. For mothers, the median age climbed from 30.4 to 31.9.
Singapore’s total fertility rate remained at a record low of 0.97 in 2024, marking the second year in a row that it stayed below 1.0.
The family trends report also noted that more fathers are taking paternity leave, with 56 per cent of those with children born in 2023 doing so — up from 53 per cent the year before. Maternity leave take-up remains high, at 74 per cent.
