DIVORCE RATE

DIVORCE RATE

34.

Mr Steve Chia Kiah Hong asked the Minister for Community Development and Sports (a) what are the reasons for the rising number of divorce cases in Singapore; (b) whether the problem is exacerbated by HDB's social agenda of forcing people to get married so as to purchase a subsidised flat; and (c) what is the Government doing about this rising rate of divorce and the subsequent social problems it will create.

Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: The number of divorces granted has risen over the years. However, the proportion of our population who is divorced or separated is still relatively low compared with countries in similar state of development. As of June 2003, 2% of Singapore residents aged 15 years or older were divorced or separated compared to 3% in Hong Kong , 4% in Japan and 8% in Britain . Based on data on marriages registered since 1987, less than 10% of marriages end up in divorce within the first 10 years of marriage. This is lower than the "one out of three marriages" which has been wrongly reported in some media reports.

HDB policies are pro-family in nature, and do not exacerbate the problem. The Government has committed to keep public housing affordable for Singaporeans. There are no compelling reasons for couples to rush to marry so that they can buy an HDB flat. Marriage is a serious commitment. Couples must enter into it after careful consideration.

My Ministry has been working closely with the Courts and our community partners to run programmes and services to support marriage. These include marriage preparation and enrichment programmes to strengthen marriages, as well as initiatives such as marriage and reconciliation counselling for couples who are experiencing difficulties in their marriage. For the Syariah Court , approximately half of the couples manage to resolve their differences and withdraw their divorce application as a result.

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The challenge to address the trend of rising divorce numbers requires a "Many Helping Hands" approach, with individuals, families, the community and the various Government agencies working in tandem. MCDS will continue to work hand-in-hand with our various partners to strengthen families, and reduce divorces.