SINGAPORE: A recent survey reveals that 40 per cent of women aged 21 to 34 do not foresee themselves getting married. This is according to data from a Singapore Perspectives 2024 (SP2024) survey collected by Dr Kalpana Vignehsa, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, National University of Singapore and her colleagues.
The Straits Times reported that the survey highlights the changing attitudes of young Singaporean women towards marriage. The survey found that 40 per cent of women in this age group do not expect to marry. While 17% of these women are less interested in marriage, 12% are less hopeful about having children compared to their male counterparts.
Although recent data from Singapore’s Department of Statistics (DOS) showed that falling birth rates result primarily from increasing rates of singlehood, Dr Vignehsa argues that it has long been a narrative that fewer Singaporeans want children.
Gender relations
Dr Vignehsa noted that gender relations, not child rearing, is the reason marriage is less appealing for women than men. “This – and not the skewed notion that women are somehow solely responsible for a falling total fertility rate – is what we need to understand and address,” she said.
Young Singaporean women are increasingly achieving higher education and professional success, often surpassing their male peers. This has empowered many to pursue their careers and personal development independently.
Research on dating in Singapore from the 2010s indicates that attitudes toward premarital sex are permissive, though housing policies make unmarried cohabitation still uncommon.
The SP2024 survey also found that 74 per cent of young women and 64 per cent of young men agree that getting married is not necessary. Despite this, 60 per cent of women and 77 per cent of men still anticipate marrying in the future.
“One way to understand these results is that while marriage continues to be desirable, it is no longer central to the identity of Singaporean youth,” Dr Vignehsa said.
The rise of dating apps has played a role in this shift, offering young people a more casual approach to relationships and widening the pool of potential partners.
Gender inequality in domestic responsibilities remains a significant issue
The Ipsos-United Women Singapore study from November 2020 found that while most Singaporeans agree that domestic labour should be shared equally, it is still largely divided along gender lines. Women are often responsible for regular duties such as cleaning, cooking, and childcare, while men handle tasks requiring greater physical strength or technical skills.
“This means that women tend to be responsible for duties that require regular attention, leaving them with less time than men to attend to other priorities.”
Dr Vignehsa added that in couples, there’s also a gap—women believe they do 43% of the housework, while their partners think it’s only 24%.
Research led by Associate Professor Vincent Chua of the National University of Singapore across East and Southeast Asia found that a mismatch between egalitarian gender ideology and traditional practices around household labour negatively affects professional women’s well-being. This issue is especially pronounced in societies with strong patriarchal norms but is also evident in Singapore.
As Dr Vignehsa said, “Staying single is a valid personal choice that must be respected.” However, if society does not address the underlying issues of gender inequality and support for working parents, falling marriage rates may become a rational choice for an increasingly educated population. /TISG
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