Marriages in Singapore dip 7% in 2024, divorces up
Couples are also becoming first-time parents later compared to a decade ago, MSF's family trends report has found.
A total of 26,328 marriages were registered in 2024, marking a drop from 28,310 marriages in 2023. (Photo: iStock)
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SINGAPORE: The number of marriages in Singapore last year dipped by 7 per cent compared to 2023, according to a report by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) released on Monday (Jul 7).
A total of 26,328 marriages were registered in 2024, compared to 28,310 marriages in 2023.
Data from the Department of Statistics (SingStat) cited in MSF’s family trends report showed a decline in civil marriages across almost all age groups in 2024 compared to 2023, with the largest fall in the number of marriages involving grooms and brides aged 25 to 34.
A total of 15,213 brides in this age range got married last year, an 8.9 per cent fall from 16,707 in 2023.
Similarly, 13,615 grooms aged 25 to 34 tied the knot in 2024, a 9 per cent slide from 14,956 in 2023.
Out of all the marriages last year, 21,144 were civil unions, down from 22,914 in 2023.
There was also a dip in Muslim marriages from 5,396 in 2023 to 5,184 last year.
This was mainly due to fewer unions involving grooms aged 30 to 34 and 45 and above, as well as brides aged 30 to 34 and 40 to 44.
These trends align with a broader shift, with the median age at first marriage increasing over the past decade.
For grooms, it rose from 30.2 years in 2014 to 31.1 years in 2024, and from 28.2 to 29.6 for brides over the same period.
Meanwhile, a total of 7,382 marriages ended in a divorce or an annulment last year, a 3.7 per cent increase from the 7,118 marital dissolutions in 2023, SingStat announced on Monday.
Over the last 10 years, the median age at divorce rose from 42.6 years in 2014 to 44.4 years in 2024 for male divorcees, and from 38.4 years to 40.9 years for female divorcees.
The median duration of marriage for divorces in 2024 was 11.1 years, longer than the 10.4 years in 2014.
Couples who were married for five to nine years made up the largest share, accounting for 29 per cent of divorces in 2024, findings showed.
Despite this, couples who married from 2006 to 2013 have had lower divorce and annulment rates before the first 10 years, compared to the 2005 marriage cohort.
The cumulative proportion of divorces and annulments before the 10th anniversary declined from 17 per cent for the 2005 marriage cohort to 14.4 per cent for the 2013 marriage cohort.
This "signifies greater marriage stability among recent cohorts of married couples", MSF said.
It added that the "most significant improvement was seen in the fall in dissolution rates for Muslim marriages".
"While the rate for Muslim marriages remained higher than that of civil marriages across all cohorts, the gap has narrowed significantly for more recent marriage cohorts," the ministry said.
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RISE IN MEDIAN AGE OF FIRST-TIME PARENTS
Couples are becoming first-time parents later compared to a decade ago, findings from the report showed.
Last year, the median age of first-time fathers increased to 33.6 years from 32.9 years in 2014.
Similarly, the median age for first-time mothers increased to 31.9 years from 30.4 years over the same timeframe.
The country’s total fertility rate remained at a record low of 0.97 in 2024, marking the second consecutive year it has fallen below 1.0.
The family trends report also revealed that 56 per cent of fathers with children born in 2023 took government-paid paternity leave in 2023, compared to 53 per cent the year before. The take-up rate for maternity leave continues to remain high, with 74 per cent of mothers doing so in 2022 and 2023.
INCREASE IN INFANT AND CHILDCARE SPOTS
Over the last decade, there has been a nearly threefold increase in full-day infant care places, data from the Early Childhood Development Agency cited in the report showed.
Spots increased from 5,628 in 2014 to 16,207 in 2024, to cater to growing demand, MSF said, adding that enrolment numbers also rose from 3,506 to 11,265 in the same period.
Similarly, full-day childcare places nearly doubled from 104,066 in 2014 to 200,847 in 2024.
The enrolment rate of children aged three to four years increased from 76 per cent in 2014 to 90 per cent in 2024, while that of children aged five to six years climbed slightly from 91 per cent to 93 per cent in the last decade.
MORE ELDERLY RESIDENTS LIVING ALONE
The number of residents aged 65 and above living at home increased from 466,300 in 2014 to 767,900 in 2024.
While about 80 per cent of these elderly residents continued to live with their spouse or children, those living alone at home had more than doubled in the last decade from 42,100 in 2014 to 87,200 in 2024.
A 2023 MSF survey found that more than 80 per cent of respondents ranked family members among the top three choices in meeting the needs of the elderly.
The same survey also showed that the majority of respondents - 90.4 per cent - agreed that it is important for grandparents and their grandchildren to maintain close ties with one another, the ministry added.
“This shows that family members continue to be the key line of support for elderly,” MSF said.
Editor’s note: Two references to “divorces” have been updated to “divorces and annulments” for accuracy.
