Marriages increased by 12% in 2011 compared with 2010

More people tied the knot last year, as the number of marriages in Singapore increased by 12 per cent. 

It rose from 24,363 in 2010 to 27,258 in 2011. 

The number has also risen over 10-year period from 2001, when there were 22,280 marriages. 

The number of divorces and annulments also increased - from 7,338 in 2010 to 7,604 in 2011. 

The Department of Statistics (DOS) shared these findings, in its report 'Statistics and Marriages in 2011', on Thursday.

In tandem with the rebound in the number of registered marriages, the general marriage rates increased in 2011. 

Among unmarried male residents, it rose from 39.4 marriages per thousand unmarried males in 2010 to 43.7 in 2011. 

Among unmarried female residents, the rate climbed from 37.2 to 41.4 marriages per thousand unmarried females. 

But the 2011 rates were lower than those of 2001, when the rates were 47.0 for males and 46.3 for females. 

Compared with 2001, marriage rates fell across the younger age groups below 30 years in 2011. 

The peak age group for men marrying shifted from 25-29 years in 1991 to 30-34 years in 2001 and 2011. 

The peak age group for women marrying remained at 25-29 years in 2011. 

In 2011, 75 per cent of total marriages were first marriages for the couple; 18 per cent were remarriages for one of the partners. 

The remaining 7.7 per cent were remarriages for both partners. 

Compared with 2001, remarriages make up a higher proportion of total marriages in 2011. 

Muslim marriages had a higher proportion of remarriages than civil marriages. 

In 2011, 33 per cent of Muslim marriages were remarriages for at least one of the partners, compared with 24 per cent for civil marriages. 

Over the past decade (2001-2011), more men were marrying up. 

There was a significant increase in the proportion of grooms with primary or lower education marrying brides with at least secondary qualification. 

The proportion for grooms in civil marriages increased from 47 per cent to 71 per cent. 

That of grooms in Muslim marriages increased from 45 per cent to 64 per cent. 

The proportion of university-educated grooms marrying brides with the same qualification also rose in the last decade. 

It increased from 69 per cent to 78 per cent for grooms in civil marriages, and from 39 per cent to 58 per cent for grooms in Muslim marriages. 

Among graduate brides, the proportion marrying graduate grooms was 75 per cent in 2011 for civil marriages, relatively unchanged from the 76 per cent in 2001. 

For Muslim marriages, the proportion dropped from 44 per cent to 40 per cent over the same period. 

The number of marital dissolutions, which comprised divorces and annulments, stood at 7,604 in 2011. 

It's higher than the 7,338 divorces and annulments in 2010. 

The crude rate of divorce rose slightly to 2.0 divorces per thousand residents in 2011, after remaining at 1.9 since 2008 

Among married male residents, the general divorce rate increased slightly from 7.5 per thousand married male residents in 2010 to 7.6 in 2011. 

The rate among married female residents was 7.2 in 2011, unchanged from 2010. 

Compared to a decade ago, the general divorce rates in 2011 were significantly higher. 

The rates for males rose from 6.3 in 2001 to 7.6 in 2011. 

That for females climbed from 6.4 in 2001 to 7.2 in 2011. 

The median age at divorce rose in the last 10 years. 

For males, it was 41.3 years in 2011, higher than the 39 years of 2001. 

For females, it was 37.7 in 2011, compared with 35.5 years in 2001. 

The median marriage duration for divorces in 2011 was 10.5 years. 

In 2011, the median marriage duration was 8.4 years for Muslim divorces and 11.1 years for civil divorces. 

Couples who were married for 5 to 9 years accounted for the largest group - at 30 per cent of civil divorces. 

This was followed by those who were married for 20 years or longer - at 20 per cent. 

Among civil divorces, the top reason for parting ways in 2011 was "unreasonable behaviour", with 49 per cent. 

Couples who had lived apart or had been separated for three years or more formed the second largest group, at 47 per cent. 

65 per cent of divorces were instituted by the wife. 

"Unreasonable behaviour" of spouse was cited as the main reason by 56 per cent of the female plaintiffs. 

"Having lived apart or separated for three years or more" was the main reason for 58 per cent of the male plaintiffs. 

Among Muslim divorces, "infidelity or extra-marital affair" and "domestic violence and abuses" were the top reasons for divorce. 

21 per cent cited infidelity while 17 per cent cited domestic violence and abuse. 

70 per cent of divorces were filed solely by the wife.