S'pore records 24,687 marriages in 2025, lowest since 2020

Singapore saw 24,687 marriages in 2025, the lowest annual figure since 2020.

According to the Department of Statistics, the 6.2 per cent drop from 2024's record 26,328 marks the third consecutive year of decline.

Academics also noted that declining marriage rates in Singapore may significantly contribute to low birth rates in the country, reported The Straits Times (ST).

Delayed marriages due to multiple factors

The low numbers were likely caused by the "post-pandemic wedding rush", where couples who had intended to get married in 2020 got married in 2021 and 2022, said principal research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) Mathew Mathews.

The National University of Singapore's Department of Paediatrics professor Jean Yeung attributed the record lows to a shrinking pool of people of "marriageable age", particularly those in their 20s and early 30s.

Other factors also include overall economic outlook, rising living costs and geopolitical tensions.

Mathews also noted that people are marrying later, as they are taking longer to find a suitable partner or to work on their relationship before committing to marriage.

IPS senior research fellow Tan Poh Lin also highlighted that many Singaporeans prioritise career progression and financial stability before settling down and starting a family.

Significantly affect birth rates

The country's total fertility rate (TFR) is likely to remain low due to the decline in marriage rates.

The TFR measures the average number of children each woman would have across her reproductive lifespan.

In 2024, the nation's TFR stood at 0.97.

Yeung noted that "as in many Asian countries", the number of children can be predicted using the marriage rate as "births outside of marriage are not socially or legally acceptable"

"So, it can be expected that if the number of marriages declines, the number of births will likely decline too," she added.

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