With disruptions brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, Singapore went through a marriage decline in 2020. This meant that fewer couples got married this past year. In addition, the country also saw the lowest number of marital dissolutions since 2006.
As per a report shared by the Department of Statistics Singapore on Wednesday (7 July), Covid-19 measures observed during the circuit breaker “may have contributed” to the decrease of divorces filed. The circuit breaker was implemented from April 7 to June 1, 2020, to curb the spread of the virus.
Marriage Decline In 2020 Due To Covid-19 Disruptions
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Singapore saw a marriage decline in 2020 with 10.9 per cent down from 2019. As compared to 25,434 marriages registered in 2019, only a total of 22,651 marriages were registered last year.
The department says, “This was due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, including circuit breaker restrictions and safe management measures applied to wedding solemnisations and receptions from March 2020.”
Other key highlights in the department’s Statistics on Marriages and Divorces, 2020 during the pandemic are of the following:
- The annual average number of marriages in the last five years was 26,255
This was lower than the annual average of 27,635 marriages registered back from 2011 to 2015.
- The general marriage rate for men and women also fell in 2020 as compared to ten years ago
In 2020, the general marriage rate for men was 35.7 marriages per thousand unmarried men aged 15 to 49 years old. This is down from 39.3 in 2010.
Meanwhile, the rate for women in 2020 was 34.9 which is also a down from 35.3 in 2012.
- The median age at first marriage rose between 2010 and 2020
The age at first marriage for men went from 30 to 30.4 years old.
For women, it rose from 27.7 to 28.8 years old.
- The age gap between couples in their first marriage narrowed over the past ten years
In 2020, 42.1 per cent of couples in their first marriage were either of the same age or only had a one year gap. This is an increase from 35.4 per cent back in 2010.
Plus, 18.1 per cent of couples were also found to be aged two years apart which is an increase from 15.5 per cent ten years ago. Couples who were aged at least five years apart went from 28.3 per cent in 2020 to now only 19.2 per cent last year.
Singapore Also Sees Lowest Number Of Divorces Since 2006
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Aside from a marriage decline in 2020, the country also had a drop in divorce cases last year.
In 2020, a total of 6,959 marriages ended in divorce or annulment. This is an 8.7 per cent drop as compared to 7,623 back in 2019.
The department also found the following information on divorces in Singapore to take note of:
- The annual average number of marital dissolution saw a slight drop
Between the years 2016 and 2020, the annual average number of marital dissolutions dropped in the preceding five-year period from 7,439 to 7,424.
- The general divorce rate also fell for both men and women in the past ten years
There were 6.3 divorcees for every thousand married men aged 20 years old and above in 2020. This was down from 7.5 ten years ago.
For women, the rate went down from 7.2 in 2010 to 6.1 in 2020.
- The median age at divorce rose over the past decade
The median age rose from 41 years old in 2010 to 43.2 years old last year for men.
For women, it rose from 37.4 years old ten years ago to 39.5 years old in 2020.
- The median duration of marriage for divorces
This went from 10.6 years in 2010 to 10.4 years last year. Couples who were married for five to nine years were found to have accounted for the largest share of all divorces in 2020 with a percentagesingapo of 29.4.
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