You know those jokes your parents and grandparents used to make?
“My wife and I were happy for 25 years. Then we met”.
“My husband ran off with my best friend last week. I miss her!”.
Well, these jokes may have had an unintended effect on us.
Marriage rates down
According to figures released by the Singapore Department of Statistics (Singstat), the number of marriages and divorces decreased in 2018.
27,007 marriages were registered in 2018, 4.3 per cent lower than the 28,212 marriages registered in 2017.
A fall in both civil and Muslim marriages contributed to the decline.
The general marriage rate, which refers to the number of marriages registered in the year among persons aged 15 to 49 out of every thousand unmarried people in the same age group, has also dropped.
In 2018, it was 43.3 marriages per thousand for males (down from 45.7 in 2017), and 40.8 marriages per thousand for females (down from 42.8 in 2017).
So, why are fewer people getting married?
Well, another statistic could answer that question.
Compared with 2008, the median age of first-time grooms and brides has increased slightly.
For grooms, it was 30.2 in 2018, compared with 29.8 in 2008.
For brides, it was 28.5 last year, compared with 27.3 in 2008.
So, Singaporeans are getting married later in life. Associate Professor Tan Ern Ser from the National University of Singapore believes this could be due to a shift in priorities.
“People spend (a) longer time in the education system and when they graduate, they are likely to prioritise career over marriage”.
Moreover, many young people now view a solid economic foundation as a necessary prerequisite for marriage.
So, it may not be indifference but pragmatism that deters them from getting married at an earlier age.
Decrease in divorces
Singstat also reported a decrease in divorce rates in 2018.
The number of divorces and annulments in 2018 dropped by 3 per cent from 7,578 cases in 2017 to 7,344.
Even though there was a slight increase in Muslim divorces, this was offset by the decline in civil divorce and annulment cases.
More women also initiated divorces in 2018, with “unreasonable behaviour” given as the top reason.
Associate Professor Tan put this down to the fact that women are now “less dependent on their husbands and are just as well educated”.
Is marriage going out of style?
Singapore Management University Professor Paulin Tay Straughan certainly believes so.
“I do think we will see more couples getting together for companionship and cohabitation, but not for marriage”.
Also, if you think about it, marriages first took place a long, long time ago, with evidence suggesting the institution is about 4,350 years old.
Back then, people got married as teenagers, so “till death do us part” meant ten years at best.
Now, people are expected to live with each other for 80 years or so. So, while you may initially look at each other with adoring smiles and rose-tinted glasses, after 70 years or so you probably look at them and think:
“Oh, you’re still here.”
Maybe the decrease in marriages is a cause for celebration. Who wants to attend another boring wedding anyway? (Not yours though, Joseph, your wedding was really, really fun)
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