Source: CNA
SINGAPORE: The Department of Statistics (DOS) said 3.5 persons made up the average household in
2010, down from 3.7 persons in 2000.
The proportion of resident households with two or three persons has also increased to 39 per cent, from 36 per cent in 2000.
And one-person households make up 12 per cent of total households, up from 8.2 per cent 10 years ago.
Releasing details on households and housing from the Census of Population 2010, DOS said the shift towards smaller households was most prominent for Chinese households.
The proportion of Chinese households with fewer than four members increased to 54 per cent last year from 46 per cent in 2000.
The corresponding increase was lower among Malay households from 34 per cent in 2000 to 36 per cent in 2010 and Indian households from 45 per cent in 2000 to 48 per cent in 2010.
The Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan cited lower fertility, ageing population and more job opportunities in the region as some reasons for the smaller households.
"But even as the household sizes shrink, we need to make sure that the family remains the centrepiece of our lives. We need to enable families to fulfil not just the economic function, but the social and emotional function of families. We will need to have more support structures and more assistance schemes, more protective schemes to enable families to cope with these changes," said Dr Balakrishnan.
Associate Professor Angelique Chan, Director, Tsao Foundation, Ageing Research Initiative said the increasing divorce rate & families splitting was another cause.
Reflecting the ageing population, there were more resident households with elderly members aged 65 years and over.
In 2010, 24 per cent of resident households had at least one elderly member, up from 21 per cent in 2000. The proportion of resident households comprising only elderly members increased from 2.7 per cent in 2000 to 4.6 per cent in 2010.
"The concern there, is the social isolation of these individuals and how to manage their healthcare because they are mainly older adults. We need to have more community-based interaction, to get people out of their apartments and interacting with people in their neighborhoods. That will help a lot with social integration," said Chan.
But some single adults still prefer to be on their own.
"They don't want to have to deal with the questions that their parents will ask - who is this person (or) that person you are inviting. So basically, that is the main reason - for privacy and living your own life," said 43-year-old Leroy Desker, who is single and living alone.
Reflecting the rising affluence of the population, more resident households were staying in bigger housing types in 2010 compared to 2000.
The proportion of resident households staying in condominiums and private flats increased to 11 per cent from 6.3 per cent in 2000.
Conversely, the proportion of resident households staying in HDB 3-room or smaller flats fell from 31 per cent in 2000 to 25 per cent in 2010. HDB 4-room flats remained the most common housing type for resident households in 2010 at 32 per cent.
DOS said the proportion occupying HDB 4-room or larger flats or private housing increased among all ethnic groups.
The proportion increased from 69 per cent to 75 per cent among Chinese households, 65 per cent to 69 per cent among Malay households and 66 per cent to 73 per cent among Indian households.
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SINGAPORE: The Department of Statistics (DOS) said 3.5 persons made up the average household in
2010, down from 3.7 persons in 2000.
The proportion of resident households with two or three persons has also increased to 39 per cent, from 36 per cent in 2000.
And one-person households make up 12 per cent of total households, up from 8.2 per cent 10 years ago.
Releasing details on households and housing from the Census of Population 2010, DOS said the shift towards smaller households was most prominent for Chinese households.
The proportion of Chinese households with fewer than four members increased to 54 per cent last year from 46 per cent in 2000.
The corresponding increase was lower among Malay households from 34 per cent in 2000 to 36 per cent in 2010 and Indian households from 45 per cent in 2000 to 48 per cent in 2010.
The Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan cited lower fertility, ageing population and more job opportunities in the region as some reasons for the smaller households.
"But even as the household sizes shrink, we need to make sure that the family remains the centrepiece of our lives. We need to enable families to fulfil not just the economic function, but the social and emotional function of families. We will need to have more support structures and more assistance schemes, more protective schemes to enable families to cope with these changes," said Dr Balakrishnan.
Associate Professor Angelique Chan, Director, Tsao Foundation, Ageing Research Initiative said the increasing divorce rate & families splitting was another cause.
Reflecting the ageing population, there were more resident households with elderly members aged 65 years and over.
In 2010, 24 per cent of resident households had at least one elderly member, up from 21 per cent in 2000. The proportion of resident households comprising only elderly members increased from 2.7 per cent in 2000 to 4.6 per cent in 2010.
"The concern there, is the social isolation of these individuals and how to manage their healthcare because they are mainly older adults. We need to have more community-based interaction, to get people out of their apartments and interacting with people in their neighborhoods. That will help a lot with social integration," said Chan.
But some single adults still prefer to be on their own.
"They don't want to have to deal with the questions that their parents will ask - who is this person (or) that person you are inviting. So basically, that is the main reason - for privacy and living your own life," said 43-year-old Leroy Desker, who is single and living alone.
Reflecting the rising affluence of the population, more resident households were staying in bigger housing types in 2010 compared to 2000.
The proportion of resident households staying in condominiums and private flats increased to 11 per cent from 6.3 per cent in 2000.
Conversely, the proportion of resident households staying in HDB 3-room or smaller flats fell from 31 per cent in 2000 to 25 per cent in 2010. HDB 4-room flats remained the most common housing type for resident households in 2010 at 32 per cent.
DOS said the proportion occupying HDB 4-room or larger flats or private housing increased among all ethnic groups.
The proportion increased from 69 per cent to 75 per cent among Chinese households, 65 per cent to 69 per cent among Malay households and 66 per cent to 73 per cent among Indian households.
