SINGAPORE: A new survey by youth non-profit Heartware Network released on Saturday (May 16) found that four in 10 Singaporeans are in “no rush” for marriage as the majority of them cited cost of living and housing concerns, difficulties in finding a partner, and simply not feeling ready to settle down.
Fewer than 4 per cent mentioned government support schemes as a concern.
Singaporeans online echoed similar sentiments to the survey respondents. In fact, one commenter on r/singapore noted that Singaporeans don’t actually lack money from government grants, but rather lack “emotional energy, stability, confidence, time, good relationships and the belief that family life fits modern Singapore.”
The commenter added that the same arguments have been shared by his colleagues. “It’s not that they hate kids, but more like, they want to be as financially cautious as they should be,” he said.
The findings come as Singapore’s resident total fertility rate (TFR) dropped to a record low of 0.87 in 2025, prompting the government to form the Marriage and Parenthood Reset Workgroup, chaired by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah.
With news of plunging birth rates and more Singaporeans choosing not to have children making headlines, some netizens said the government may soon introduce more drastic measures, with some speculating that housing policies could be adjusted to prioritise families with children or those already planning to start a family.
While one commenter joked, “No 3rd trimester no BTO?”, another took a more serious tone, saying that “Whatever new measures the government does end up announcing will be welcome to families already planning to have children, but do little to sway those in the other camp.”
In related news, Indeed’s Singapore Hiring Lab report found that childcare job postings in February declined the most among occupation groups. /TISG
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