Does Marriage Matter and How Does it Matter? A Mixed-Method Study in Singapore

This project aims to investigate whether and how marriage still matters in contemporary Singapore, where rising individualism and shifting life priorities have complicated the pursuit and maintenance of marital relationships. Using a mixed-methods approach, drawing on nationally representative census data (2000–2020), online survey experiments, and in-depth semi-structured interviews, this study examines how assortative mating based on age, education, and ethnicity shapes marital quality, fertility intentions, and well-being. The quantitative components estimate population-level patterns and identify causal effects of key sociodemographic factors on partner desirability, marital satisfaction, and childbearing decisions. The qualitative interviews provide contextual insight into how Singaporeans interpret spousal compatibility and the qualities they value in partners. The findings may provide an integrated understanding of how marriage ideals are formed and how marital dynamics evolve in Singapore. The project also pilots key elements of a larger planned longitudinal study and will generate findings of immediate policy relevance for improving marital support systems and fertility outcomes. Besides producing academic publications, it will contribute to training early-career scholars in interdisciplinary methods and inform future regional studies in other Asian societies with similarly low fertility. Ultimately, the project enhances knowledge on family formation under modern constraints and helps design interventions for stable and fulfilling marriages.