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This comes on the back of a broader trend of people in Singapore <\/span>marrying later in life<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n In 2024, the median age at first marriage rose to 31.1 years old for men – up from 30.2 a decade ago. For women, it increased to 29.6 from 28.2 over the same period.<\/span><\/p>\n Even when a couple finally decides to marry, other concerns like living and marriage costs could play a role in delaying marriage, said Associate Professor Hu Shu, head of the sociology programme at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFor those who intend to marry eventually, they may be in the process of deciding if their current partner is the one they want to tie the knot wi<\/span>th. If yes, then they may be thinking – should they wait until they become more stable in their career development? And maybe they are saving up for the marriage costs, for the marital flat,\u201d she pointed out.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really about how they plan in terms of their individual career development, in terms of the process of the marriage formation, and the financial costs (and) economic expectation that comes with it,\u201d Assoc Prof Hu said.<\/span><\/p>\n She added that compatibility concerns – such as the sharing of duties in housework and parenting – are also shaping decisions.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cEspecially for young women who really value gender egalitarianism in their relationship … they might expect greater involvement of their partner in terms of sharing housework,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n An important factor to consider is how much the father will be involved in childcare if they decide to have children, added Assoc Prof Hu.<\/span><\/p>\n For Ms Rajendra\u2019s husband Mr Rabensky, getting premarital counselling helped strengthen their relationship.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201c(It was good) having talks about where we live; what are our jobs looking like? Where are we heading into the future, and how do we use the love that’s between us and (channel it) into those practical concerns?\u201d the teacher recounted.<\/span><\/p>\n