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More marriages, fewer divorces in 2012

SINGAPORE — More marriages were registered here last year compared to 2011 while the divorce and annulment rate fell, the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s Department of Statistics said in a report released today (July 10).

SINGAPORE — More marriages were registered here last year compared to 2011 while the divorce and annulment rate fell, the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s Department of Statistics said in a report released today (July 10). The department also revealed in its Statistics on Marriages and Divorces, 2012 report that inter-ethnic marriages accounted for 21 per cent of all marriages last year, up from 12 per cent in 2002. MARRIAGES A total of 27,936 marriages, both civil and Muslim, were registered last year, up 2.5 per cent from the 27,258 in 2011 — the figures do not include a small number of civil marriages contracted overseas or under religious or customary rites and were subsequently registered here. The number of civil marriages rose from 22,840 in 2011 to 23,134 last year, with Muslim marriages similarly increasing from 4,418 to 4,802 over the same period. It was the second consecutive year the general marriage rate increased. The marriage rate for men, specifically, increased from 43.7 marriages per 1,000 unmarried male residents aged 15-44 years in 2011 to 44.1 in 2012. Similarly for women, the marriage rate rose slightly from 41.4 to 41.6 marriages per thousand unmarried female residents aged 15-44 years during the same period. INTER-ETHNIC MARRIAGES In 2012, 21 per cent of total marriages were inter-ethnic marriages, up from 12 per cent in 2002. Such marriages were more prevalent among Muslim marriages (34 per cent) than among civil marriages (18 per cent). Nearly half of the 4,183 inter-ethnic civil marriages registered in 2012 were between Chinese grooms and brides of “Others” ethnic group — “Others” refers to all ethnic groups excluding Chinese, Indians, Eurasians, Caucasians and Malays, the Department of Statistics said. Inter-ethnic Muslim marriages were mainly among Malay grooms or Malay brides with their spouses of “Others” ethnic group, which accounted for 24 per cent and 21 per cent, respectively, of the 1,611 inter-ethnic Muslim marriages last year. DIVORCES, ANNULMENTS The total number of marital dissolutions (comprising divorces and annulments) was 7,241 in last year, 5 per cent lower than the peak at 7,604 divorces and annulments in 2011. The crude rate of divorce also decreased marginally to 1.9 divorces per 1,000 residents in 2012 from 2.0 the year before. Among married male residents, the general divorce rate declined from 7.6 per thousand married male residents aged 20 years and over in 2011 to 7.1 last year. Similarly, the rate among married female residents fell from 7.2 in 2011 to 6.7 in 2012. Compared to a year ago, the divorce rates among married males fell in 2012 for those aged 30 years and over. Similarly, the divorce rates among married females fell or were unchanged in 2012 for those aged 25 years and over compared to 2011. In contrast, the 2012 divorce rates were higher for most age groups when compared to a decade ago. The Singapore Department of Statistics initiated the collection of divorce statistics in 1981 and of educational qualification of marriage partners in 1984. The marriage and divorce statistics provide important inputs for formulating population and related policies. This Statistics on Marriages and Divorces, 2012 is the 29th in a regular series of publications and is presented in two parts.

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