SINGAPORE, July 7 — The number of marriages and the number of divorces rebounded in 2021 following the relaxation of Covid-19 regulations, statistics showed.

The annual data released by Department of Statistics Singapore yesterday (July 6) also showed that the number of civil and Muslim marriages registered jumped by 25.1 per cent from 22,651 in 2020 to 28,329 last year.

Despite the jump, the department said that the annual average number of marriages registered in the last five years — which was affected largely due to the drop in 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic happened — remained lower than the annual average registered between 2012 and 2016.

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For the number of divorces, it increased last year by 13.4 per cent to 7,890, compared to 6,959 the previous year.

“The increase was due to more divorce applications filed in 2021 and the resumption of divorce proceedings that were previously adjourned, following the easing of safe management measures,” the department said.

It added that the annual average number of divorces between 2017 and 2021 was similar to the average in the preceding five-year period.

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Marriages

― The highest marriage rates for both males and females were observed among those aged 30 to 34 years old

― Some 43.7 per cent of couples in their first marriage were either of the same age or one year apart, an increase from 35.9 per cent a decade ago

― Compared to other educational groups, those with university qualifications married the latest in 2021, with median ages of 31 years for first-time grooms and 29.6 years for first-time brides

Inter-ethnic marriages-

― The share of inter-ethnic marriages fell for the second consecutive year, from 18.2 per cent in 2020 to 16.2 per cent last year, although inter-ethnic marriages among Muslim marriages remained relatively stable at 22.4 per cent last year.

― Marriages between Chinese grooms and brides of ethnic groups excluding Chinese, Malays, Indians, Eurasians and Caucasians, accounted for the highest number of inter-ethnic marriages at 35.5 per cent. This was followed by marriages between Caucasian grooms and Chinese brides at 15.5 per cent

― Minor marriages — involving at least one minor aged below 21 years — registered below 1 per cent for the first time in 2021, following a continuous decline over the years

Divorces

― General divorce rates for both males and females saw an increase. There were 7.2 male divorcees for every 1,000 married males aged 20 years and over, up from 6.3 in 2020; for female divorcees, it was 6.9, up from 6.1 in 2020

― Divorce rates rose slightly for older married persons aged 35 years and over. The median age at divorce for males was 43.9 years and for females, 40 years

― The median duration of marriage for divorces finalised in 2021 was 10.7 years, a slight increase from the 10.5 years a decade ago

― Couples who were married for five to nine years accounted for the largest share of all divorces at 29.8 per cent, followed by those who were married for 10 to 14 years (18.4 per cent), and those married less than five years (17.1 per cent)

― The majority of civil divorces in 2021 were initiated by wives at 63.8 per cent, slightly lower than the 64.7 per cent a decade ago

Top reasons for divorce

― The top reason (58.1 per cent) for divorce among female plaintiffs was “unreasonable behaviour” of their spouse

― For men, the top reason for divorce (51.7 per cent) was having “lived apart or separated for three years or more”

― Similarly, the majority of Muslim divorces were filed by wives in 2021 at 71.2 per cent, higher than the 69.6 per cent in 2011

― Both male (21.4 per cent) and female (20.7 per cent) plaintiffs said that “infidelity or extra-marital affair” was the main cause of their marriage breakdown in 2021 ― TODAY