"Will you marry me?" Seems like less said yes in 2010

Not only did the number of marriages fall, divorces rose with “unreasonable behaviour” as one of the top reasons.

The first annual decline since 2003, total number of marriages registered last year dropped 6.6% compared with 2009.

A report by the Department of Statistics Singapore said, “In tandem with the fall in number of registered marriages, the general marriage rates declined to a historic low in 2010. Among unmarried male residents, the general marriage rate declined from 43.6 marriages per thousand unmarried males in 2009 to 39.4 in 2010. Among unmarried female residents, the rate dropped from 41.1 to 37.2 marriages per thousand unmarried females during the same period.”

In terms of marrying age, marriage rates fell across the younger age groups below 30 years in 2010, with males and females aged 25-29 years experiencing the largest fall compared to 2000. According to the report, the peak age group for men marrying shifted from 25-29 years in 1990 and 2000 to 30-34 years in 2010. Meanwhile the peak age group for women marrying remained at 25-29 years in 2010.

Marital dissolutions, which comprised divorces and annulments, numbered 7,405 in 2010. This was higher than the 7,386 divorces and annulments in 2009, according to the report. The wife instituted the majority (64%) of non-Muslim divorces in 2010. “Unreasonable behaviour” of spouse was cited as the main reason by 56% of the female plaintiffs while “Having lived apart or separated for three years or more” was the main reason for 60% of the male plaintiffs.