SINGAPORE – The majority of singles who intend to move out of their current homes would prefer to buy a home of their own, rather than rent or live with other people.
They would also prefer to purchase a new home over a resale unit due to affordability concerns and a desire for a newer living environment, the latest HDB Sample Household Survey published on Nov 27 showed.
About 7,000 households and more than 1,600 single occupiers across all HDB towns and estates were surveyed in 2023 and 2024 for the survey, which is conducted once every five years.
This is the first time the survey has delved into the housing aspirations of single occupiers.
Single occupiers refer to single Singapore citizens aged 21 to 54, who are living in sold or public rental flats, the Housing Board said.
A majority of the singles surveyed were aged 35 and below, living in four-room or bigger flats that were owned, and most resided with their parents or immediate family.
The report, which aimed to better understand the potential housing choices of singles, found that 80.3 per cent of singles surveyed did not have clear plans to get married. In this group, more than six in 10, or 66.2 per cent, wanted to move out of their current home.
Of those who intended to move, about seven in 10, or 72.3 per cent, preferred to buy their own home rather than rent or live with others.
Some 46.5 per cent would opt for a new public or private housing unit over a resale unit, citing affordability concerns and the preference for a newer living environment as key reasons, HDB said.
Another 25.8 per cent wanted to buy a resale unit.
The report also showed that single occupiers had strong family ties, with most having close relationships with their parents and siblings. Even after moving out, they said they would still provide financial, physical and emotional support to their parents.
Sociologist Tan Ern Ser, an adjunct principal research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, said the findings reflect singles’ desire for personal independence.
“It could also be a step taken to avoid the negative stereotype attached to adults still living with their parents,” he said.
