More Singaporeans stay single: report

More Singaporeans are not getting married with the proportion of singles in 2009 significantly higher compared to a decade ago, official data showed on Tuesday.

Among those aged 30-34, the proportion of singles in 2009 (41.9 percent for males and 29.8 percent for females) was significantly higher compared to 1999 (33.2 percent for males and 21.7 percent for females), according to the official Population in Brief 2010 report.

Singlehood rates were the highest among males with below secondary educational qualifications and among females with university qualifications. Citizens who do get married are also doing so at a later age.

Overall, the general marriage rate for citizen males decreased from 53.1 per 1,000 unmarried males in 1999 to 41.5 in 2009, while that for citizen females decreased from 56.0 to 38.2 over the same period.

Proportionately more Singapore citizens are marrying non- citizens. Of all marriages involving citizens, the share of those between citizens and non-citizens increased from 30.7 percent in 1999 to 40.8 percent in 2009. The majority of the non-citizen spouses originated from Asia.

Source: Xinhua