The number of marriages in Singapore fell by 6.2 per cent to 24,688 in 2025 from 26,328 the year before, according to the family trends report released by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) on Friday (Jul 10).
The last time there were fewer marriages was in the COVID-19 year of 2020, when 22,651 marriages were registered. This is the third straight year that the number of marriages has dipped.Of the marriages last year, 19,682 were civil marriages, down from 21,144 in 2024.
The number of civil marriages fell across all age groups last year, with a larger decrease in marriages involving grooms and brides aged 25 to 34, relative to other age groups.
Muslim marriages fell to 5,006 last year from 5,184 in 2024. This was also mainly due to the decrease in marriages among grooms and brides aged 25 to 34, relative to other age groups.
Responding to queries from CNA on why this age group saw the biggest drop, an MSF spokesperson said that similar to many advanced societies, Singapore has seen a gradual shift towards later marriage due to changing societal norms and shifting personal priorities.About 27.3 per cent of citizen marriages last year were between a Singaporean and a non-resident.
Among such marriages, 70.9 per cent were between a Singaporean groom and a non-resident bride.
The report also showed that the median age at first marriage has increased over the past decade.
For grooms, it rose to 31.1 years last year, from 30.3 years in 2015. For brides, it increased to 29.6 years last year, from 28.2 years in 2015.
CNA
