Marriage rates fall, divorces and annulments rise in 2013

SINGAPORE — The Statistics on Marriages and Divorces 2013 report, compiled by the Singapore Department of Statistics (SingStat), showed that the number of marital dissolutions last year rose even as marriages became less common.

A total of 26,254 marriages — including both civil and Muslim marriages — were registered in 2013, which was six per cent lower than the 27,936 marriages registered in 2012. In contrast, the total of number marital dissolutions (comprising divorces and annulments) rose four per cent from 7,237 in 2012 to 7,525 in 2013.

The decline in marriages registered was due to few civil marriages (down from 23,134 in 2012 to 21,180 in 2013) despite a rise in Muslim marriages (up from 4,802 in 2012 to 5,074 in 2013). This was the first time the number of marriages fell after rising in the previous two years.

The marriage rate for men, specifically, fell from 43.8 marriages per 1,000 unmarried male residents aged 15-49 years in 2012 to 40.5 in 2013. Similarly for women, the marriage rate fell from 39.4 to 36.9 marriages per thousand unmarried female residents aged 15-49 years during the same period.

While the crude rate of divorce remained unchanged at 1.9 divorces per thousand residents in 2013 and 2012, the general divorce rate in 2013 for married male and female residents aged 20 year and over rose.

Compared to a year ago, the divorce rates among married males increased in 2013 from 7.1 per 1,000 married male residents to 7.3 in 2013. Similarly, the divorce rates among married females increased from 6.7 in 2012 to 6.9 in 2013.

The Singapore Department of Statistics initiated the collection of divorce statistics in 1981 and of educational qualification of marriage partners in 1984. This Statistics on Marriages and Divorces, 2013 is the 30th in a regular series of publications and is presented in two parts.