the state of youth in singapore

5/25/2018 The State of Youth in Singapore

1/85


2/85

The State of Youth in Singapore

1997 National Youth Council

and

Centre for Business Research & Development

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval

system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission of

the National Youth Council and Centre for Business Research & Development.

ISBN 981-00-9765-4

Published by

National Youth Council and Centre for Business Research & Development

113 Somerset Road, #01-02 Faculty of Business Administration

National Youth Centre National University of SingaporeSingapore 238165 10 Kent Ridge Crescent

Singapore 119260

Cover painting by Wong Heqin submitted for the competition What Singapore Means

to Me by Young Singaporeans

Cover design by Inc Communications

Printed in Singapore by Integrated Press Pte Ltd


3/85

Preface

In 1995, there were 683,100 youths aged between 15 and 29 years in

Singapore, a decrease of 5.3% from 737,400 in 1990. Youths currently make up a

sizeable 23% of the total population in Singapore.

For a small nation like Singapore, its economic progress and ultimately its

survival are intrinsically dependent on the quality of its population. Our Government

recognises this and pays special attention to the well-being and concerns of the future

leaders of our nation. The National Youth Council, together with the Centre for

Business Research & Development, have jointly prepared this comprehensive

publication documenting the various aspects of youth in Singapore. It aims to be a

useful reference for all concerned in monitoring youth development and progress in

Singapore.

This publication is the first monograph in a quinquennial series of publication

on the state of youth in Singapore. It presents a macro picture, covering both

demographic and psychographic characteristics of youth. It also contains information

on their aspirations and views on national and global issues. Of particular interestwould be the directions and trends in which the youths are heading for in comparison

to their counterparts overseas.

We would like to express our sincere appreciation to all who have contributed

in making this publication possible.

National Youth Council

December 1997

i


4/85

T he State of Youth in Singapore

Contents

Page

I INTRODUCTION 1

II PROFILE OF SINGAPORE YOUTH 1A) Demographics

i) Populationii) Marital Statusiii) Ethnic Groupiv) Educationv) Labour Force Participation

vi) Death Causesvii) Crime Rates

viii)Religion

B) Psychographics(1) Values & Major Concerns 9

i) Life-Goalii) Personal Satisfactioniii) Success Factorsiv) Worries & Concerns

v) Advisors

(2) Family Life & Marriage 16i) Marriageii) Qualities Important in Marriage

iii) Sex before Marriage

(3) Jobs 21i) Part-time Jobs: Students

ii) Working Youth

(4) Singapore Identity 26i) Image of Singaporeii) Attributes of Singaporeans

III SUMMARY 28

Appendix I: Research Methodology and Scope of Study 30Appendix II: Youth Statistics 40

A) DemographicsB) Psychographics

Appendix III: NYC Depository of Youth Research 70A) Singapore PublicationsB) Overseas Publications

ii


5/85


THE STATE OF YOUT H I N SINGAPORE

I INTRODUCTION

Young people are a countrys valuable resource. They are a vital part of a

countrys future, determining its rate of economic-social growth and development.

The United Nations designated 1985 as the International Youth Year (IYY) in

recognition of the role of youth in society. In 1995, the world celebrated the tenth

anniversary of IYY with the theme, Participation, Development and Peace.

What are Singapore youth like? What is the profile of young people in

Singapore? What are their aspirations? How do they view life? What gives them

personal satisfaction? And how do they perceive Singapore and Singaporeans?These are some of the questions that this book, The State of Youth in Singapore,

attempts to answer. In providing an overview on Singapore youth and focussing on

specific issues important to young people, this book hopes to give a better

understanding of the younger generation in Singapore. It will be the first of a series

documenting and capturing changes in the profile of the Singapore youth.

II PROFILE OF SINGAPORE YOUTH

A) DemographicsThe demographic profile of Singapore youth is drawn from published statistics

from various government organizations.

i) Population

Almost one-quarter (23%) of Singapores population belong to the youth group,

defined as young people aged 15-29 years. There are more older youth. Among the

three age sub-groups, 30% of youth are of 15-19 years, 34% are aged 20-24 years and

36% are 25-29 years. For every 100 female youth, there are 104 male youth.

Youth Population

200

0

400

600

800

Thousand

221.4211.0

232.3229.1283.7

243.0

737.4683.1

15-19 years 20-24 years 25-29 years Total

1990 1995

1


6/85


The youth population has declined from 737,400 in 1990 to 683,100 in 1995.

This phenomenon could most probably be due to the successful implementation of

the earlier family planning campaign and declining birth rates over the years.

The Singapore youth population is likely to decrease gradually over the next

ten years. Based on projections on Singapore population, the youth population will

fall to 655,000 in the year 2000 and to 653,000 in 2005, but rise to 693,000 in 2010.

As a proportion of total population, it will decrease from the current 23% to 20%-

21% during 2000-2010. There will be more younger youth in the next decade. Among

the three age sub-groups of youth, the older youth comprising 36% in 1995 is most

likely to drop to 31% in 2010 while the younger youth comprising 30% in 1995 is

most likely to reach 37% in 2010.

ii) Marital Status

Youth & Martial Status

20

0

40

60

80

%

77.080.1

22.419.5

0.30.1

0.4 0.4

Single Married Widowed Divorced

1990 1995

100

Projected Population

5

0

10

15

20

%

7.17.4 7.7

6.3

8.1

7.4

2022.9

15-19 years 20-24 years 25-29 years % of total population

25

7.2

7.5

6.5 6.7 6.1 6.4

20.720.9

1995 2000 20102005

2


7/85


In terms of ethnic composition, Malay and Indian youth have declined

proportionately. The percentage of Malay youth has decreased from 16% in 1990 to

14% in 1995. Similarly, Indian youth constituted one percentage point less in the

five-year period. In contrast, Chinese youth population grew from 76% to 79%.

iv) Education

The percentage of single youth has increased from 77% in 1990 to 80% in

1995 while married youth have declined from 22% to 20% over the same period.

Widowed and divorced youth have remained at less than 1%.

The total number of marriages registered (under the Womens Charter and

Muslim Act Law) in 1995 was 24,965, an increase of 4% over that of 23,953 in 1990.

The mean age at first marriage has been rising gradually, from 28.7 years in 1990 for

grooms to 29.4 years in 1995 and from 25.9 years in 1990 for brides to 26.3 years in

1995.

iii) Ethnic Group

Youth & Ethnic Group

20

0

40

60

80

%

76.3

79.4

15.8

13.67.1 6.1

0.9 0.9

Chinese Malays Indians Others

15-29 yrs 1990 15-29 yrs 1995

100

Student Enrolment

500

0

520

540

560

Thousand

520.8 521.5525.6 531.2

538.8

558.7

1990 1991 1992 1993

580

1994 1995

3


8/85


Education is highly valued by todays youth. The importance of education

can be seen from the rise in the number of student enrolment in the past five years

despite the fall in youth population. Student enrolment in 1995 increased by 7% over

that in 1990.

In terms of the level of educational qualification, youth are becoming better

educated. The percentage of youth with primary education has decreased by halfwhile that with tertiary education has gone up by almost half. For instance, 12% of

youth aged 15-29 years have university education in 1995 as compared to 7% in

1990. Correspondingly, those with a polytechnic or junior college (JC) qualification

have increased from 21% to 34% while those possessing only a primary education

have decreased from 32% to 16%.

v) Labour Force Participation

Youth Education

5

0

10

15

20

%

31.9

15.7

39.7 38.1

21.2

33.8

7.2

12.5

Primary Secondary JC/Poly University

1990 1995

35

40

45

30

25

Youth Labour Participation

20

0

40

60

80

%

30.9

19.9

82.5

76.7

86.4 86.6

64.9 64.3

15-19 yrs 20-24 yrs 25-29 yrs Total

1990 1995100

4


9/85


With a diminishing youth population, there are proportionately fewer youth in

the workforce. The overall percentage of youth in the labour force has decreased

very slightly from 65% to 64% over the period of 1990 to 1995. However, those in

the 15-19 years and 20-24 years age groups have experienced a sharp decline from

31% to 20% and 83% to 77% respectively over the same period. Possible reasons for

lower labour force participation rates in these two younger age groups are the

importance placed on higher education and fewer dropouts from school.

In contrast to the total labour force in which male workers outnumber female

workers, there are more female working youth than male youth. Both have declined

between 1990 and 1995 from 35% to 27% for male youth and from 48% to 40% for

female youth. Better education has led to some changes in occupation structure.

There are more youth now being employed in professional, managerial or technical

positions; the proportion of which has increased sharply from 18% in 1990 to 30% in

1995. Correspondingly, the proportions of working youth with tertiary education

have increased (28% for polytechnic and 13% for university in 1995 versus 15% and

5% in 1990 respectively), while the proportion with primary education has declined

sharply (25% in 1995 versus 45% in 1990). Similar to 1990, most youth tend not to

run their own business as evidenced by the virtually unchanged self-employment rate

of 2%.

Employed Youth

10

0

20

30

40

%

18.2

29.9

16.8 16.8

11.0

44.6

32.6

Professionals Clerical Sales/services Production

1990 1995

45

15

5

25

35

8.5 9.7

12.0

Others

5


10/85


Primarily a result of higher educational qualification and employment positions,

the wage levels of young workers have risen. For instance, 26% of working youth

aged 20-24 years in 1990 earned a monthly wage of S$1,000-1,499. Five years later,

the proportion has risen to 41%.

vi) Death Causes

Major Causes of Death

20

0

40

60

80

No

36 3437

44

98108

79

50

Heart Pneumonia Traffic Cancer

1990 1995

100

120

99

80

Suicide

The major causes of death among Singapore youth are motor traffic accidents

(20%) and suicides (15%). Compared to 1990, the suicide rate in 1995 has declined

slightly by two percentage points whereas deaths due to motor traffic accidents have

risen by three percentage points.

Male youth are more prone to be victims of motor vehicle traffic accidents

(24%), while female youth are more likely to commit suicide (22%).

Wage Level of 20-24 years old

10

0

20

30

40

%

24

4

24

11

26

41

$600-799 $800-999 $1000-1499

1990 1995

45

15

5

25

35

50

6


11/85


Young Offenders

1,000

0

2,000

3,000

No.

1,892

1,484

2,574

2,239

1993 1995

Number arrestedNo of students

vii) Crime Rates

The number of young offenders arrested has increased sharply by 114% from

1,205 in 1990 to 2,574 in 1995. Student offenders rose by 51% between 1993 and

1995. Out of the total arrests in 1995, student offenders accounted for almost nine-

tenths (87%). Another concern is the rise in girl offenders. Girl offenders arrested

have risen from 21% of total arrests in 1993 to 28% in 1995 and to 29% in 1996.

However, in 1996, the number of young offenders and number of student offenders

decreased by 18% and 21% respectively as compared to the previous year.

The most common offence committed by the young is shoplifting, accountingfor 41% of total crimes in 1995 compared to the previous years 33%. The second

highest incidence of offence committed is simple theft, which has decreased from

18% in 1994 to 14% in 1995.

Another problem is the increase in violent crimes (such as rioting and extortion)

committed by one-fifth of offenders in the age group of 7-15 years. Extortion by

threat increased by three times from 8 cases in Jan-June 1994 to 24 cases in Jan-June

1995.

One observation on these problem youth is that they often come from homeslacking in parental guidance, and are usually low-achievers in school with low self-

esteem. Because of this, they are easily influenced by negative peer pressure (Straits

Times, 17 February 1996).

7


12/85


viii) Religion

Reflecting changes in ethnic composition, Buddhism among Singapore youth

has increased. The percentage of Buddhist youth rose from 29% in 1990 to 31% in

1995. Hinduism and Christianity, on the other hand, have declined slightly between

1990 and 1995 whereas Islam has decreased by almost the same proportion as Malay

youth.

B) Psychographics

The psychographic findings are obtained from a survey conducted in mid-

1997 of a representative sample of 600 Singapore youth. The survey findings are

compared with those of eleven countries on similar topics from the Fifth World Youth

Survey 1993. Given that values and attitudes change slowly, the survey findings

from the two separate studies provide indications of similarities and differences

between Singapore youth and youth of other countries.

Youth & Religion

10

0

20

30

%

29.131.4

Buddhism Taoism Islam

1990 1995

15

5

25

35

18.518.8 18.015.7

3.8 3.2

13.513.1

16.616.8

0.6 0.6

Hinduism Christianity No religion Others

8


13/85


To live as I like is the life-goal of 44% of Singapore youth, followed by To

get rich for 32% of Singapore youth. As the majority of youth are single, they have

more freedom to do what they want.

Given that the goals of Singapore youth are To live as I like and To getrich, the least mentioned life-goal is To improve society and the world. Less than

one in ten (8%) states that as their life-goal.

Youth of different age groups, ethnic background and educational qualifications

view their life-goal differently. The findings indicate that the older Singapore youth

tend to be more practical whereas the younger youth are more idealistic. For instance,

the most frequently cited life-goal of older youth aged 25-29 years is To get rich

(39%) whereas that of younger groups of 15-19 years and 20-24 years is To live as

I like (50% and 45% respectively). Interestingly, proportionately more younger

youth aged 15-19 years (13%) choose To improve society and the world as their

life-goal while proportionately more older youth aged 20-29 years (13%) aim To

acquire social position.

In terms of educational background of youth, the life-goal of those with primary

education is To get rich (48%), while the life-goal of those with at least secondary

school education is To live as I like (39%-53%). Youth with polytechnic or university

education however aim To achieve social position (17%). Youth with vocational

education tend to be less self-centred, aiming To improve society and the world

(24% as against 5% for youth with university education).

(1) Values & Major Concerns

i) Life-Goal

Youth Life-Goal

To acquire social position12%

To improve society & the

world 8%Others

4%

To get rich 32%

To live as I like

44%

9


14/85


Singapore youth are similar to youth in eleven developed and developing

countries covered by the Fifth World Youth Survey. Firstly, the largest proportion of

youth in Singapore (44%) have the life-goal of To live as I like. Similarly youth in

other countries cite this life-goal most frequently, ranging from the Philippines (40%)

to Sweden (82%).

The second most common life-goal among Singapore youth is To get rich(32%). This is also the second most cited life-goal of youth in Japan (28%), South

Korea (24%), Thailand (17%), the United Kingdom (15%), the United States (14%)

and Sweden (10%).

With the exception of Philippine youth, the life-goal of To work on behalf of

society is selected by proportionately fewer youth. Whereas 30% of Philippine

youth express the desire to work for society, few youth from the other countries possess

this life-goal, ranging from Swedens 2% to Singapores 8% and Brazils 16%.

World Youth: Life-goal

Sweden

U.K.

Thailand

U.S.A.

Germany

Russia

Korea

Japan

Brazil

France

Philippines

Singapore

To live as I like

50%0% 100%

2.11.1

10.382.0 4.5

7.21.7

8.914.667.7

10.90.1

4.717.067.3

9.63.8

7.414.165.2

6.16.0

16.96.464.5

3.6 1.920.312.362.0

11.80.0

6.424.357.5

6.54.5

4.528.356.3

15.60.2

20.310.753.2

7.51.5

28.210.352.6

29.90.4

8.021.540.2

8.44.1

11.831.644.1

To get richTo acquire social

position

To workon

behalf ofsociety Others

10


15/85


ii) Personal Satisfaction

Youth apparently derive the most personal satisfaction when they are with

their friends (28%). Being with friends reaffirms each others ideas and gives a sense

of belonging. A smaller proportion (16%) of youth get personal satisfaction whenwith family, when at work or when concentrating on sports/hobbies. Since being

with friends gives the most satisfaction, very few youth like being alone (3%).

Youth, 24 years old or younger, prefer the companionship of friends (35% for

those 15-19 years and 29% for 20-24 years) while those above 24 years old are more

satisfied when with family (28%) or at work (27%).

This finding is rather similar to that of the Fifth World Youth Survey. The most

cited form of personal satisfaction is when with friends for youth in seven countries

(Japan, USA, UK, Germany, France, Sweden and Russia). Youth in the Philippines,

Thailand and Brazil derive the most satisfaction when with family while Korean

youth gather the most satisfaction when engrossed in work.

Family

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Work

Sports/Hobbies

Make society better

Study

Alone

28.1

16.2

16.0

15.6

7.2

2.8

Personal Satisfaction

Percentage

8.6

Friends

11


16/85


iii) Success Factors

* Multiple answers are allowed in the Fifth World Youth Surveywhile the Singapore youth survey allows

only one answer.

Korea

0% 50% 100%

Thailand

Brazil

Philippines

Singapore

Russia

World Youth Personal Satisfaction: Top 2 Choices*

WorkFriends

FamilyFriends

FamilyFriends

FamilyFriends

FamilyFriends

FriendsFamily

Friends

Sports

Friends

Sports

Friends

Friends

Family

Family

Friends

Family

Family

Friends

Germany

Japan

France

U.S.A.

U.K.

Sweden

Success Factors

Good education 12%

Luck 10%

Social status 4%

Right connections 4%

Others 1%

Personal effort 32%

Personal abilities 22%

Opportunity 15%

12


17/85


Personal effort (32%) is recognised by Singapore youth as the most important

factor for becoming successful. Personal abilities (22%) is considered as the next

most important factor for success. Success factors associated with luck, social status

and right connections are perceived by much smaller groups of youth to be important.

Apparently, youth of today are realistic and are aware that hard work is necessary for

success.

iv) Worries & Concerns

More than half (55%) of Singapore youth are worried over money. Work is

another main concern of youth (44%). The least concern is over political/social

problem (6%), and is to some extent consistent with the behaviour of apolitical

Singaporeans in general.

There are some differences between male and female youth perceptions of

various concerns and worries. While female youth are more concerned than male

youth over matters concerning family (48% vs 36%), friends (40% vs 28%),

appearance (28% vs 13%), personality (18% vs 11%), male youth tend to be more

concerned than female youth about political problems (9% vs 3%).

Others

Major Concerns

0

20

40

60

%

55.2

44.3 41.7

33.8

29.528.2 25.3

22.320.3

14.7 8.3 8.2 7.36.0

1.2

Money

Work

Family

Friend

s

Opposite

sex

Health

Schoolw

ork

Gettinga

job

Perso

nality

problem

Sex

Gettin

gtocho

iceschool

Notrou

ble

Politi

cal/so

cialprobl

em

Perso

nala

ppearance

13


18/85


Similarly, in the Fifth World Youth Survey, money is also ranked first in all

surveyed countries except Korea. Getting a job is the top problem for Korean youth

(37.5%), and the second most cited worry for youth in seven countries, Sweden

(41.7%), Philippines (41.5%), UK (35.8%), France (34.7%), USA (31%), Thailand

(24.5%), and Brazil (17.3%). In contrast, getting a job is not ranked as a top-five

worry by Singapore youth, reflecting the tight labour market conditions in Singapore.

v) Advisors

%

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

60.5 60.3

55.5 55.2 54.1 53.1

47.7

37.334.9

28.4

20.3

Philippin

es U.K.

U.S.A.Sing

apore

Sweden Russ

iaThai

land France Japa

nGerm

any Brazil

Major Concern-Money

Club/groupFriends

Girlfriends/boyfriends

Neighbourhood/

school friends

Older schoolfriends

Mother

Brothers/sisters

Top Advisors

35 40 450 5 10 15 20 25 30

41.8

36.0

17.8

4.8

23.8

21.8

Percentage

Wife/husband

Friends

12.7

14


19/85


When youth have problems, they often approach someone to talk to for advice.

The most popular advisor (cited by all respondents) is friends; i.e. friends from own

group/ club (42%), girlfriends/ boyfriends (36%), neighbourhood/school friends (18%)

or friends older than them (5%). The next most common advisor whom youth approach

is their mother (24%), followed by brothers/sisters (22%). Despite the fact that most

students spend many hours in school, they hardly approach their teachers to confide

their troubles (1%).

Male and female youth do not differ much in the choice of advisors. The

slight difference is that female youth are more likely to seek their boyfriends (43%)

or mother (28%) for advice while male youth would rather not speak to anyone (12%)

when in trouble.

The findings of the Fifth World Youth Surveyon this question differ from that

of the Singapore survey. Proportionately more youth in the eleven countries approach

their mother for advice. Mother is ranked first in nine countries, whereas in Japan

and South Korea, neighbourhood/school friends are the preferred advisors youth talk

to. Another distinct person whom the overseas youth approach is their father who is

constantly ranked within the top five advisors. In comparison, Singapore youth rather

go to no one for advice (10%) than to their father (9%).

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

%

77.2

72.2

67.9

54.9 53.8 53.5 53.1 50.0

43.0

37.7

29.6

23.8

Philippines U.K.U.S.A. SingaporeSweden RussiaThailand France JapanGermany Brazil Korea

Mother as advisor

15


20/85


(2) Family Life & Marriage

i) Marriage

A majority (75%) of Singapore youth are for marriage and only less than one-

fifth (17%) do not view marriage favourably. On the degree of support for marriage,

close to half of youth feel strongly that One should marry (46%) and a smaller

proportion are of the view that It is better to marry (28%). Amongst the youth whodo not view marriage favourably, only a handful of them (2%) are of the view that It

is better not to marry.

Views on marriage vary across educational qualification and ethnic groups.

While a large proportion (44%) of university graduates are of the opinion that It is

better to marry, a majority of those with junior college (52%) or secondary (54%)

education feel strongly that One should marry. Almost three-tenths (28%) of youth

with junior college education, however, feel that It is not necessary to marry. Indian

and Malay youth are stronger advocates of marriage than Chinese youth. Close to

two-thirds of Indian and Malay youth believe that One should marry (62% and

63% respectively) while less than half (42%) of Chinese youth opine likewise.

Comparing the results with those of the Fifth World Youth Survey, Singapore

ranks second (75%) after the Philippines (83%) in terms of support for marriage

while youth from the United Kingdom are the least likely to agree with this view

(32%). It is observed that youth from the west tend to view marriage as not necessary.

For instance, the United Kingdom (61%) and Sweden (60%) have the highest incidence

of youth not for marriage as opposed to youth in Singapore (15%) or Japan (16%).

Views on Marriage

Dont know8%

For Marriage

75%

Against

Marriage 17%

16


21/85


ii) Qualities Important in Marriage

Qualities Important in Marriage

Commitment

38%

Financial

independence

4%

Companionship

12%

Others

2%

Fidelity

3%

Mutual trust

41%

World Youth Views on Marriage

Philippines

Japan

Russia

Thiland

Korea

U.S.A.

Brazil

France

Germany

Sweden

U.K.

Singapore

Should marry

50%0% 100%

2.8 10.436.446.2 4.1

0.99.81655.317

2.8 6.419.237.932.5

3.6 4.524.427.237.3

1.55.828.749.314.7

3.1 8.339.326.121.5

12.61.0

42.125.118.7

6.41.2

51.732.47.7

6.6 9.542.523.214.4

3.02.4

59.917.416.8

61.21.5

4.119.612.3

15 8.228.246.3

Better to marry

Notnecessary

to marry

Betternot to

marryDontknow

1.7

17


22/85


A high proportion of youth feel that mutual trust (41%) and commitment (38%)

are important qualities in a marriage. Youth do not consider financial independence

(4%) or fidelity (3%) as important factors in a marriage.

The following significant differences are detected. The older youth of 25-29

years view commitment (41%) as the most important quality in marriage. In contrast,

those below 25 years old consider mutual trust (43%-48%) as the most important

quality for marriage. Primary and vocational educated youth tend to emphasise

commitment (50% and 41% respectively) while secondary, junior college, polytechnic

and university educated youth look upon mutual trust (39%-47%) as being the most

important. University and vocational graduates place more importance on financial

independence as compared to the others (6% vs 2% for the primary). And youth with

primary education perceive companionship relatively more important than other youth

(29% vs 8%-18%).

iii) Divorce

More than half (54%) of Singapore youth approve of divorce either regardless

of whether there are children or when mutual love does not exist in the marriage.

Only one-fifth (20%) of them feel very strongly that once married, divorce should

never be allowed for any reason at all.

Female youth tend to support divorce more than the males. More than half

(51%) of male youth are against divorce as compared to female youth (41%). Financial

independence could be the reason that females are stronger supporters of divorce.

Views on Divorce

Approved

54%Disapproved

46%

18


23/85


From the Fifth World Youth Survey, those approving divorce exceed those

disapproving in nine countries: Sweden (88% approve), UK (83%), France (81%),

Germany (80%), USA (77%), Brazil (76%), Russia (76%), Japan (52%) and Thailand

(51%). In the Philippines, youth who disapprove of divorce (61%) exceed those who

approve (39%), while Korean youth are equally split between approval and disapproval

of divorce. Singapore youth, therefore, hold similar views on divorce as Japanese

and Thai youth.

World Youth Views on Divorce

Sweden

U.K.

France

Germany

U.S.A.

Brazil

Russia

Japan

Thailand

Korea

Philippines

Singapore

Should divorce if no

love

50%0% 100%

5.248.439.4 4.3

6.48.141.741.5

3.114.530.450.7

1.81153.126.9

10.48.145.531.8

9.613.322.254

4.913.126.449.4

8.83641.610.6

24.622.912.638.4

30.919.240.19.7

48.112.710.727.8

25.334.120.2

Unavoidable under certain

circumstancesShould not divorce if

children

Should not divorce

20.4

19


24/85


iv) Sex before Marriage

On the issue of sex before marriage, a slim majority (51%) perceive it as

wrong and feel that it should be avoided. About two-fifths (41%) of youth, however,

look upon sex before marriage as acceptable if mutual love exists and that marriage is

the ultimate goal. Singapore youth are still conservative with only less than one-

tenth (9%) of them viewing pre-marital sex as not a problem even if there is no love.

More than half of the female youth (59%) express strong disapproval againstsex before marriage. On the other hand, more males than females perceive it as

alright if there is mutual love (26% vs 17%) or even if there is no love (11% vs 6%).

In terms of age differences, the younger youth aged 15-19 years feel strongly against

sex before marriage (61%) while slightly more than one-third (37%) of those aged

25-29 years old are strongly against such practice. The older youth are also more

liberal in that more than one-tenth (13%) of them believe that pre-marital sex is alright

even if there is no love. Apparently views on pre-marital sex become more liberal as

youth grow older.

The findings of the Fifth World Youth Surveyshow that Singapore youth are

second to Philippine youth in believing pre-marital sex should be avoided. In eight

other countries, a majority of youth condone pre-marital sex when there is mutual

love [France (73%), Japan (71%), Sweden (66%), Germany (59%), Brazil (58%),

UK (57%), Russia (54%), and USA (51%)].

Should beavoided

(51%)

Sex before Marriage

No

problemif there is

mutuallove (22%)

No

problem ifmarriage

is ultimategoal (19%)

No

problemeven if

no love(9%)

20


25/85


(3) Jobs

i) Part-time Jobs: Students

World Youth Views on Sex before Marriage

Philippines

Thailand

Korea

Brazil

U.S.A.

Russia

Japan

U.K.

Sweden

Germany

France

Singapore

Should be avoided

50%0% 100%

2.315.463.5 18.4

6.126.216.646.9

0.638.920.739.6

10.714.416.3

13.851.316.114

17.353.518.36.3

3.870.815.45.3

30.657.27.14

26.265.933.2

22.158.98.21.9

16.573.21.7

21.918.750.8

OK if marriagegoal OK if mutual love

OK if nolove

8.6

58.2

7.4

Part time job

Vacation

(68%)

No(38%)

Regular

(19%)

Both(14%)

Yes(62%)

21


26/85


A majority (62%) of students have been engaged in part-time jobs in the past

one year. Two-thirds (68%) of working students are involved in vacation jobs while

slightly more than one-tenth (14%) are involved in both vacation as well as regular

jobs and almost two-tenths (19%) in regular work. Hence one-fifth of students work

regularly and almost two-fifths do not do any part-time work even during vacation.

Part-time jobs

10

0

20

30

40

%

28.6

19.8

8.7

39.2

13.7 11.8

Clerical Sales F & B/banquet

Tuition

50

Fast foodClerical

Vacation Regular

To pay for my

education

To occupy my spare

time

To gain experience

To earn money for pocket

money

17.1

53.2

56.3

81.6

Reasons for working

Female youth are more likely to take up part-time jobs than male youth (70%

vs 56%). Part-time work tends to increase with age and educational qualification.

Youth 20 years and older are more inclined to work than those below 20 years (75%

vs 56%). Similarly, the percentage of youth undertaking part-time job increases from

25% for those with primary education to 88% for vocational educated. Among ethnic

groups, Indian youth (60%) are more likely to be involved in regular part-time jobs.Of those who work regularly, more than one-third (36%) work less than 6

hours per week while about a quarter (26%) work between 6-10 hours.

22


27/85


The two most common vacation part-time jobs that students undertake are

clerical (29%) and sales related jobs (20%). On the other hand, tuition is the most

common regular part-time job (39%). Smaller proportions undertake regular part-

time clerical jobs (14%) and service jobs in the fast food (12%) industry.

The main reason why students work part-time is to earn pocket money (82%).

Quite a substantial number also work to gain experience (56%) and to occupy their

spare time (53%).

The survey findings indicate that many students are not required to work in

order to cover their education fees. This could be because there are already other

forms of loans available to the students. For instance, one in four undergraduates

takes tuition fees loans while a quarter of the students use their parents CentralProvident Fund (CPF) to cover up to 80% of fees (Straits Times, 21 April 1997).

Many youth (71%) take up part-time work just to earn extra cash to support

their lifestyle which covers daily expenses, food, clothes and on anything they want.

A very small portion of youth put their part-time earnings into savings (12%) or

education (4%).

ii) Working Youth

A large majority (81%) of working youth are satisfied with their workplace.

In this respect, Singapore youth are similar to youth in the USA, Sweden, France,

Thailand, Germany and Brazil (with 81%-89% satisfied working youth according to

the Fifth World Youth Survey).

Most SatisfactionSocial

environment16%

Jobsatisfaction

24%

Status of job2%

Others2%

Job prospects18%

Monetaryrewards

38%

23


28/85


Almost two-fifths (38%) of the working youth derive most satisfaction from

monetary rewards. Apparently, job status does not give working youth much

satisfaction (2%).

Job prospects provide the second most satisfaction to male youth (25%) while

to female youth, it is job satisfaction (26%). There is also a significant difference by

educational qualification. Youth with junior college education or below obtain most

satisfaction from monetary rewards (62% for primary, 45% for secondary and 50%

for junior college) while those with higher qualification obtain most satisfaction on

the job (34% for polytechnic, 40% for vocational and 33% for university).

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Why Work

Percentage

67.5

20.1

3.2

2.5

2.5

1.9

To contribute to society

To occupy his/her time

To do his/her duty

To earn money and pursue

self-fulfillment

To pursue self-fulfillment

To earn money

The main reason why youth work is to earn money (68%), followed by pursuing

self-fulfillment (20%). Socialisation (1%) does not constitute the main reason for

working for most youth.

One-third (33%) of working youth have not changed jobs while another third

have experienced one job change (31%). A handful of the working youth (9%) have

changed jobs four times or more.

24


29/85


Many youth (62%) have been working for less than five years while almost a

third (31%) have been working between 5 to 10 years.

The Fifth World Youth Surveyshows that a large proportion (63%) of Japanese

youth have never changed jobs. On the other hand, youth who have changed jobs are

the most numerous in the USA (87%) and Brazil (74%).

Job Changes

Four times or more9%

Twice 21%

None 33%

Three times 6%

Once 31%

World Youth on Job Changes

Japan

Germany

Philippines

Thailand

Russia

Korea

France

Sweden

U.K.

Brazil

U.S.A.

Singapore

Never

44.1

50%0% 100%

4.417.162.7 7.1

4.110.226.654.1

6.410.421.852.9

9.114.922.9

4.85.226.147.5

6.818.227.139.4

18.610.41839.3

11.46.725.136.5

18.111.622.231.7

20.521.216.526.2

35.717.413.2

63133.2

One Twice

3

times

8.5

4.2

15.2

3.3

3.6

8.6

48.6

15.2

7.9

13.3

18.6

16.2

15.1

17.5

21.3

>4 times

25


30/85


(4) Singapore Identity

i) Image of Singapore

Almost all youth perceive Singapore as a very safe country (95%). They are

also proud that the country is socially stable (91%). A large number of them (89%)

are of the opinion that the standard of living in Singapore is another aspect to be

proud of. However, many of them (78%) do not think highly of the sports scene in

Singapore.

This finding is similar to another survey, ST Survey on Young Singaporeans,

conducted by the Straits Times (Straits Times,27 June 96). A representative sample

of 418 young Singaporeans were polled, of whom 95% view the country as being asafe place to live.

Image of Singapore

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

%

94.590.6

89.3

82.2

76.6

57.1

4946.5

34.3

21.8

Safe

country

Science

&technology

Standard

ofeducation

Standard

ofliving

Contributionto

internationalcommunity

Social

stability

Goverment SportsHistorical,cultural

heritage

Culture&

art

100

26


31/85


ii) Attributes of Singaporeans

Materialistic

0 50 100%

Practical

Diligent

Progressive

Intellectual

Impatient

87.6

81.5

80.3

80.2

75.0

69.4

Singaporeans Attributes

68.9

61.7

49.6

38.0

Peace-loving

Arrogant

Courteous

Broad-minded

What type of attributes do youth perceive Singaporeans to possess? Nine inten youth (88%) describe Singaporeans to be materialistic. The other attributes are

practical, diligent and progressive, as seen by 80%-82% of youth. The negative

attributes are impatient (69%) and arrogant (62%). Less than half (38%) of the youth

think that Singaporeans are broad-minded, while only half of them (50%) describe

Singaporeans as courteous.

27


32/85


III SUMMARY

Singapore youth, aged 15-29 years, constitute almost a quarter of the Singapore

population. The youth population has declined and stood at 683,100 in 1995. For

every 100 female youth, there are 104 male youth. Not only are there proportionately

more older youth, there are also more single youth. The youth population is projected

to drop further to 653,000 in 2005 but to rise to 693,000 in 2010 with a greater

proportion of younger youth.

Singapore youth are better educated with student enrolment increasing 7%

between 1990 and 1995. This has led to some occupational structural changes, in

which youth employed in professional, managerial or technical positions have risen

from 18% in 1990 to 30% in 1995. As a result, the average wage levels of youngworkers have risen substantially. The proportion of youth aged 20-24 years earning

a monthly wage of S$1,000-1,499 rose from 26% in 1990 to 41% in 1995.

In Singapore, the major cause of death for male youth is motor vehicle accidents

while the incidence of suicide is high among female youth. The number of young

offenders arrested has risen sharply to 2,574 in 1995. Student and girl offenders have

increased rapidly. Offences committed are also getting more violent.

The life-goal of most Singapore youth is to live as they like or to get rich.

Friends play an important role in the lives of youth. Youth derive the greatest personalsatisfaction when with friends; and friends are also the most preferred advisors for

youth.

Although proportionately more youth are remaining single, a large majority

of them are for marriage. A high proportion (80%) of youth feel that mutual trust and

commitment are important qualities in a marriage. A majority are also for divorce

either regardless whether there are children or when mutual love does not exist. On

the issue of sex before marriage, Singapore youth are still conservative and feel that

it should be avoided.Singapore youth are realistic. They recognise that personal effort and abilities

are the two most important factors for success. Money, on the other hand, is a main

focus in the life of many Singapore youth. For instance, a major concern of youth is

money; monetary reward is a main aspect that gives job satisfaction; and the main

reason why youth work is to earn money.

28


33/85


Three out of every five students are involved in part-time jobs with one-fifth

engaged in regular part-time work. Clerical and sales are popular vacation jobs while

tuition is the most common regular part-time job. Students undertake part-time jobs

to earn extra pocket money for daily expenses, food, clothes and anything else they

want. Only a very small proportion of youth save their part-time earnings or use it

for education.

Most working youth (81%) are satisfied with their workplace with top

satisfaction being monetary rewards for over one-third of working youth. Almost

two-thirds (62%) have been working for less than five years and one-third of working

youth have not changed jobs.

Nine in ten Singapore youth are proud of Singapore being a safe country anda socially stable country. Singapore culture and sports, however, lag far behind as

aspects of Singapore that youth are proud of. Most youth perceive Singaporeans to

be materialistic, practical, diligent and progressive. A majority also describe

Singaporeans as impatient, arrogant and narrow-minded.

Singapore youth are not much different from youth of 11 other countries

surveyed in the Fifth World Youth Survey. For instance, the life-goal of To live as I

like; deriving personal satisfaction from friends; the major concern over money;

approval of divorce; and satisfaction with workplace are also cited by large proportionsof youth in the other countries as well as in Singapore. On the other hand, advisors

whom youth approach when in trouble differ. Mother and father are often ranked

among the top five by youth in other countries, compared to Singapore youth who

prefer to turn to their friends instead. Youth from developed countries are less likely

to support marriage and more likely to condone pre-marital sex when there is mutual

love. Moreover, many youth in the other countries do not change their jobs often. A

large proportion of Japanese youth never change jobs while youth who have changed

jobs are the most numerous in the USA and Brazil.

29


34/85

APPENDIX I

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

ANDSCOPE OF STUDY

30


35/85


A) Research Methodology

The study utilizes existing published data pertaining to youth. As far as possible,

the latest available data are obtained from sources such as General Household Survey1995, Yearbook of Statistics; annual reports of the Central Provident Fund and Ministry

of Health;Registry of Births and Deaths; Statistics on Marriages and Divorces; and

various newspaper articles.

Besides the compilation and analysis of secondary data, the study also conducts

a survey during the period May-June 1997 to obtain some psychographics of Singapore

youth. Face-to-face interviews of a representative sample of 600 youth (15-29 years

old) were carried out at four main areas in Singapore, namely the Central area (e.g.

Orchard, Bukit Timah & National Youth Centre); East zone (e.g. Bedok & Tampines);

North-East zone (e.g. Ang Mo Kio & Hougang) and North zone (e.g. Woodlands &

Yishun); and West zone (e.g. Clementi & Jurong). The interviews were conducted at

various locations, such as MRT stations, bus interchanges and outside shopping centres.

Respondents are either Singaporeans or permanent residents, aged between 15-29

years old. The interviewers were given guidelines on the sampling units by sex, age

groups, race and educational qualification.

A three-page interview questionnaire, designed in consultation with theNational Youth Council (NYC), captures the attitudes and perceptions of Singapore

youth on the following aspects:

a) Their goals in life

b) What gives them personal satisfaction

c) Their major concerns and worries and to whom do they seek advice

d) Their views on marriage, divorce and pre-marital sex

e) Students involvement in part-time work

f)Aspects of job satisfaction of working youthg) Their image of Singapore and their fellow Singaporeans.

The survey questionnaire is attached. The profile of respondents is given in

Tables 1 and 2. Table 1 shows that the survey sample is roughly representative of

Singapore youth population.

B) Scope

The monograph briefly presents the general state of Singapore youth as drawn

from secondary data. The survey findings are analysed next. The survey results are

compared to those from the Fifth World Youth Survey 1993. Although done four

years ago, this survey results are used for comparison purposes, partly because it is

31


36/85


the most recent survey conducted based on similar questions. The next survey will be

conducted in 1998. Launched in 1972, the Fifth World Youth Surveyis conducted

every five years by Japans Youth Affairs Administration, Management and

Coordination Agency, to study the views on life of youth in various countries. The

Fifth World Youth Surveycovers 11 countries, namely Japan, USA, UK, Germany,

France, Sweden, South Korea, Philippines, Thailand, Brazil and Russia. Each country

has a sample size of at least 1,000 respondents aged 18-24 years. This definition of

youth is slightly narrower than that used for Singapore.

Table 1: Profile of Respondents Survey vs National Statistics

Survey 1995 National% (Number) Statistics (%)

Gender

Male 50.8 (304) 51.0

Female 49.2 (295) 49.0

Age

15-19 years 31.7 (190) 30.9

20-24 years 35.1 (210) 33.5

25-29 years 33.2 (199) 35.6Marital Status

Single 85.5 (509) 80.1

Married, no kids 7.1 (42) }

Married with kids 7.1 (42) } 19.5

Divorced 0.3 (2) 0.4

Race

Chinese 78.8 (473) 79.4

Malays 13.3 (80) 13.6

Indians 6.2 (37) 6.1

Others 1.7 (10) 0.9

Education

Primary 9.3 (56) 15.7

Secondary/Vocational 40.4 (224) 38.1

JC/Poly 36.0 (216) 33.8

University 14.2 (85) 12.5

32


37/85

Table 2: Profile of Respondents Survey

Survey 1990 Census of

% (Number) Population (%)

Economic Status

Schooling 40.3 (237) 30.4Working 57.5 (338) 68.1

Job seeking 2.2 (13) 1.5

Occupation

Professional/Technical 11.2 (67) 11.0

Managerial/Administrative 12.1 (72) 1.6

Clerical 9.4 (56) 11.6

Sales/Service 11.9 (71) 16.7

Production 6.2 (37) 22.3

National Service 6.2 (37)

Housewife 1.7 (10) 5.4

Student 39.7 (237) 20.4

Others 1.7 (10) 11.0

Residence

HDB 1-2 room 2.5 (15) 5.9

HDB 3 room 26.4 (158) 34.8

HDB 4 room 30.4 (182) 28.1

HDB 5 room 22.6 (135) } 11.0

HDB exec 4.8 (29) }

HUDC 1.2 (7) 2.0

Private condo 3.5 (21) 4.2

Terrace 4.3 (26) 3.6

Semi-D 2.0 (12) 2.4

Bungalow 1.7 (10) 1.4Others 1.5 (3) 6.6

Place of interviews

Central 22.2 (115) 37.9

East 24.5 (127) 16.6

North/North east 13.1 (68) 25.4

West 34.1 (177) 20.1

National Youth Council 6.2 (32)

33


38/85

CBRD

Centre for Business Research & Development

Faculty of Business Administration

National University of Singapore

Survey On Singapore Youth

PART I: VALUES & MAJOR CONCERNS

Q1. People have different goals in life. Which of the following is closest to yours ?

[ 1 ] To get rich [ 4 ] To improve society and the world

[ 2 ] To acquire social position [ 5 ] Others (please specify) _______________

[ 3 ] To live as I like

Q2. From which of the following do you get personal satisfaction ?

[ 1 ] When doing something to make society [ 5 ] When with family

better off [ 6 ] When with friends

[ 2 ] When engrossed in work [ 7 ] When alone

[ 3 ] When engrossed in study [ 8 ] Others (please specify) _______________

[ 4 ] When concentrating on sports

or hobbies

Q3. Which of the following do you think is the most important factor for becoming successful ?

[ 1 ] Social status [ 5 ] Luck

[ 2 ] Personal abilities [ 6 ] Opportunity

[ 3 ] Personal effort [ 7 ] Right connections

[ 4 ] Good education [ 8 ] Others (please specify) _______________

Q4. What are your major concerns/worries/troubles? (Choose as many as applicable)

[ 1 ] School work [ 9 ] Money

[ 2 ] Getting into the school of my choice [ 10 ] Political/social problems

[ 3 ] Getting a job [ 11 ] Personality problems

[ 4 ] Work [ 12 ] Health

[ 5 ] Family [ 13 ] Personal appearance

[ 6 ] Friends [ 14 ] There is nothing troubling me[ 7 ] Relations with opposite sex [ 15 ] Others (please specify)

[ 8 ] Sex _______________

34


39/85

Q5. To whom do you talk with for advice when you have worries/troubles? (Choose as many as

applicable)

[ 1 ] Father [ 8 ] Superiors/friends who are older than me

[ 2 ] Mother [ 9 ] Colleagues at work

[ 3 ] Brothers/sisters [ 10 ] Friends in my club or group[ 4 ] Wife/husband [ 11 ] Girlfriends/boyfriends

[ 5 ] Teacher [ 12 ] Professional/school/religious counselors

[ 6 ] Neighbourhood/school friends [ 13 ] I go to no one for advice

[ 7 ] School friends who are older than me [ 14 ] Others (please specify) _______________

PART II: FAMILY LIFE & MARRIAGE

Q6. How do you feel about marriage ?

[ 1 ] One should marry [ 4 ] It is better not to marry

[ 2 ] It is better to marry [ 5 ] Dont know

[ 3 ] It is not necessary to marry

Q7. Which of the following qualities do you think is the most important in a marriage ?

[ 1 ] Commitment [ 4 ] Financial independence

[ 2 ] Mutual trust [ 5 ] Fidelity

[ 3 ] Companionship [ 6 ] Others (please specify) _______________

Q8. How do you feel about divorce ?

[ 1 ] Once married, divorce should not be allowed for any reason.

[ 2 ] It is better not to divorce if there are children.

[ 3 ] Regardless of whether there are children, certain circumstances can make divorce a better

option.[ 4 ] Divorce should be opted if there is no mutual love in the marriage.

Q9. How do you feel about sex before marriage ?

[ 1 ] Should be avoided.

[ 2 ] Not a problem as long as it is agreed that marriage is the ultimate goal.

[ 3 ] Not a problem as long as there is mutual love.

[ 4 ] Not a problem even if there is no love.

35


40/85

PART III: JOBS (excluding industrial attachments)

(A) FOR STUDENTS

Q10. Have you done any part-time jobs (including tuition) in the past 12 months ? Yes No

Q11. What kind of part-time job are you doing ? Vacation Regular Both

Q12. How many hours do you work regularly per week ? __________________________________

Q13. Which type of part-time work are you doing ?

Vacation part-time Regular part-time

[ 1 ] Tuition[ 2 ] Fast food

[ 3 ] Departmental stores

[ 4 ] Clerical

[ 5 ] Sales

[ 6 ] Others (please specify)

Q14. Why do you work part-time ? (Choose as many as applicable)

[ 1 ] To earn money to help family [ 5 ] To gain experience[ 2 ] To earn money for pocket money [ 6 ] To pay for my education

[ 3 ] My friends are working too [ 7 ] Others (please specify) _______________

[ 4 ] To occupy my spare time

Q15. How do you normally spend the money that you earned ?

________________________________________________________________________

(B) FOR THOSE WORKING

Q16. How satisfied are you with your workplace ?

[ 1 ] Satisfied [ 3 ] More or less dissatisfied

[ 2 ] More or less satisfied [ 4 ] Dissatisfied

36


41/85

Q17. Which aspect of the job gives you the most satisfaction ?

[ 1 ] Job satisfaction [ 4 ] Job prospects

[ 2 ] Social environment [ 5 ] Status of job

[ 3 ] Monetary rewards [ 6 ] Others (please specify) ___________

Q18. Why do you think a person works ?[ 1 ] To earn money [ 5 ] To contribute to society

[ 2 ] To do his/her duty [ 6 ] To socialise

[ 3 ] To pursue self-fulfillment [ 7 ] Others (please specify) ___________

[ 4 ] To occupy his/her time

Q19. How many times have you changed jobs ?

[ 1 ] I have never changed jobs [ 4 ] Three times (this is my 4th job)

[ 2 ] Once (this is my 2nd job) [ 5 ] Four times or more[ 3 ] Twice (this is my 3rd job)

Q20. How long have you been working ? _______________________________ years

PART IV: SINGAPORE IDENTITY

Q21. Which of the following can Singapore be proud of ?

YES NO

[ 1 ] Historical, cultural heritage

[ 2 ] A safe country

[ 3 ] Culture & art

[ 4 ] Sports

[ 5 ] Science & technology[ 6 ] Standard of education

[ 7 ] Standard of living

[ 8 ] Social stability

[ 9 ] Government

[10] Contribution to international community

[11] Others (please specify)

37


42/85

Q22. Do Singaporeans have the following attributes ?

PART V: ABOUT YOURSELF

Q23. Sex [ 1 ] Male [ 2 ] Female

Q24. Age [ 1 ] 15-19 years [ 3 ] 20-24 years

[ 2 ] 25-29 years

Q25. Marital [ 1 ] Single [ 3 ] Married, no kids

status [ 2 ] Divorced [ 4 ] Married with kids

Q26. Race [ 1 ] Chinese [ 3 ] Malays

[ 2 ] Indians [ 4 ] Others

Q27. Economic [ 1 ] Schooling [ 3 ] Job seeking

status [ 2 ] Working [ 4 ] Others (please specify) ______________

Q28. Education [ 1 ] Primary school [ 4 ] Polytechnic

Attained [ 2 ] Secondary school [ 5 ] Vocational

[ 3 ] Junior college [ 6 ] University

YES NO

[ 1 ] Diligent

[ 2 ] Intellectual

[ 3 ] Practical[ 4 ] Broad-minded

[ 5 ] Courteous

[ 6 ] Arrogant

[ 7 ] Progressive

[ 8 ] Peace-loving

[ 9 ] Impatient

[10] Materialistic

[11] Others (please specify)

38


43/85

Q29. Occupation [ 1 ] Professional/Technical [ 6 ] National Service

[ 2 ] Managerial/ [ 7 ] Housewife

Administrative

[ 3 ] Clerical [ 8 ] Student

[ 4 ] Sales/Service [ 9 ] Others (please specify) _____________

[ 5 ] Production

Q30. Residence [ 1 ] HDB 1-2 room [ 7 ] Private condo

[ 2 ] HDB 3 room [ 8 ] Terrace

[ 3 ] HDB 4 room [ 9 ] Semi-D

[ 4 ] HDB 5 room [ 10 ] Bungalow

[ 5 ] HDB exec [ 11 ] Others (please specify) ______________

[ 6 ] HUDC

T hank You for Your Co-operati on

39


44/85

APPENDIX II: YOUTH STATISTICS

A) DEMOGRAPHICS

Table A.1 Population of Youth

Table A.2 Youth and Marital StatusTable A.3 Marriages by Age Group of Grooms & Brides, 1990 and 1995

Table A.4 Youth and Ethnic Group Distribution

Table A.5 Enrolment in Educational Institutions

Table A.6 Students in Educational Institutions, 1995

Table A.7 Youth Education

Table A.8 Youth Labour Force Participation

Table A.9 Employed Youth & Occupational Structure

Table A.10 Profile of Employed YouthTable A.11 Employed Youth by Monthly Wage Level and Age Group

Table A.12 Major Causes of Death of Young People (10-29 years)

Table A.13 Number of Young Offenders Arrested

Table A.14 Types of Crimes Committed

Table A.15 Selected Violent Offences Committed

Table A.16 Youth and Religion

Table A.17 Population Projections

Chart 1 Singapore Education System

B) PSYCHOGRAPHICS

Table B.1 Youth Life-Goal by Demographics

Table B.2 Youth Life-Goal Fifth World Youth Survey

Table B.3 Personal Satisfaction of Youth

Table B.4 Personal Satisfaction of Youth by Age

Table B.5 Top 5 Personal Satisfaction of Youth Fifth World Youth Survey

Table B.6 Important Factor for Becoming Successful

Table B.7 Youth Major Concerns

Table B.8 Youth Major Concerns by Gender

Table B.9 Top 5 Youth Major Concerns Fifth World Youth Survey

Table B.10 Advisors Whom Youth Approach

Table B.11 Top 5 Advisors Whom Youth Approach Fifth World Youth Survey

Table B.12 Youth Views on MarriageTable B.13 Youth Views on Marriage by Demographics

40


45/85

Table B.14 Youth Views on Marriage Fifth World Youth Survey

Table B.15 Qualities Important in a Marriage

Table B.16 Qualities Important in a Marriage by Demographics

Table B.17 Youth Views on Divorce

Table B.18 Youth Views on Divorce by Gender

Table B.19 Youth Views on Divorce Fifth World Youth SurveyTable B.20 Youth Views on Sex before Marriage

Table B.21 Youth Views on Sex before Marriage by Demographics

Table B.22 Youth Views on Sex before Marriage Fifth World Youth Survey

Table B.23 Part-time Jobs (for Students) by Demographics

Table B.24 Types of Part-time Jobs (for Students) by Demographics

Table B.25 Hours Worked for Regular Job (for Students)

Table B.26 Types of Part-time Jobs Undertaken (for Students)

Table B.27 Reasons for Working Part-time (for Students)Table B.28 How Students Spent their Earned Money

Table B.29 Satisfaction with Workplace Fifth World Youth Survey

Table B.30 Aspect of Job Satisfaction

Table B.31 Aspect of Job Satisfaction by Demographics

Table B.32 Reasons for working?

Table B.33 Number of Times Person Changes Job

Table B.34 Number of Times Person Changes Job Fifth World Youth Survey

Table B.35 Years of Working

Table B.36 Can Singapore be Proud of the Following?

Table B.37 Attributes of Singaporeans

41


46/85

Table A.2: Youth and Marital Status (%)

15-19 yrs 20-24 yrs 25-29 yrs Total1990 1995 1990 1995 1990 1995 1990 1995

Single 29.8 30.8 27.2 30.2 20.0 19.1 77.0 80.1

Married 0.2 0.1 4.2 3.2 18.0 16.1 22.4 19.5

Widowed 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.3 0.0

Divorced 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.4

Table A.1: Population of Youth (000)

1990 1995

Males Females Total Males Females Total

Age group

15-19 106.9 221.4 114.5 108.8 102.2 211.0

20-24 113.9 232.3 118.4 118.4 110.7 229.1

25-29 140.0 283.7 143.7 121.0 122.0 243.0

Total 360.8 376.6 737.4 348.2 334.9 683.1

(48.9%) (51.1%) (100%) (51.0%) (49.0%) (100%)

Total Population 1517.8 1498.6 3016.4 1502.9 1483.7 2986.5

(50.3%) (49.7%) (100%) (50.3%) (49.7%) (100%)

% Youth Population (12.0%) (12.5%) (24.4%) (11.7%) (11.2%) (22.9%)

42


47/85

Table A.4: Youth and Ethnic Group Distribution (%)

15-19 yrs 20-24 yrs 25-29 yrs Total

1990 1995 1990 1995 1990 1995 1990 1995Chinese 23.6 24.7 23.7 26.8 29.0 27.9 76.3 79.4

Malays 4.3 4.0 5.2 4.6 6.3 5.0 15.8 13.6

Indians 1.9 1.9 2.3 2.0 2.9 2.3 7.1 6.1

Others 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.9 0.9

Table A.3: Marriages by Age Group of Grooms & Brides, 1990 and 1995 (%)

Womens Charter Muslim Act Law

1990 1995 1990 1995

Grooms (19191) (20553) (4762) (4412)

Under 20 0.4 0.3 1.4 1.5

20-24 15.6 12.8 24.4 19.9

25-29 45.1 43.0 46.2 39.5

30-34 25.2 25.8 15.7 20.5

35-39 8.7 10.7 6.2 8.9

40 and over 5.0 7.4 6.1 9.7

Brides (19191) (20553) (4762) (4412)

Under 20 4.0 2.4 11.7 9.5 20-24 37.3 35.3 44.3 40.9

25-29 40.0 41.0 27.4 26.4

30-34 12.8 13.7 8.5 11.2

35-39 4.1 4.9 4.7 6.5

40 and over 1.8 2.7 3.4 5.5

NB: Figures in brackets are absolute numbers for total Statistics on Marriage and Divorce

43


48/85

Table A.6: Students in Educational Institutions, 1995

Institutions Students

Total Male Female

Primary schools 199 261,648 136,651 124,997

Secondary schools 155 181,548 94,810 86,738

Pre-U and Centralised institutes 9 2,994 1,064 1,930

Junior colleges 14 19,120 8,991 10,129

Institute of Technical Education 11 9,476 6,656 2,820

Polytechnics 4 46,841 27,258 19,583

National Institute of Education 1 2,482 658 1,824

NUS & NTU 2 34,591 18,843 15,748

TOTAL 395 558,700 294,931 263,769

Table A.5: Enrolment in Educational Institutions (Number)

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995

Primary schools 257,932 260,286 262,599 261,534 251,097 261,648

Secondary schools 161,029 157,282 156,362 155,834 174,483 181,548

Pre-U 30,430 28,431 25,787 24,895 23,498 22,114ITE 15,769 15,181 15,117 15,168 12,492 9,476

Tertiary institutions 55,672 60,369 65,771 73,772 77,215 83,914

TOTAL 520,832 521,549 525,636 531,203 538,785 558,700

NB: Chart 1 depicts the education system in Singapore.

44


49/85

Table A.8: Youth Labour Force Participation (%)

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995

15-19 yrs 30.9 30.4 29.3 25.3 23.3 19.9

Male 30.0 31.1 30.0 25.1 23.6 20.5

Female 31.8 29.8 28.6 25.6 23.0 19.1

20-24 yrs 82.5 82.9 81.2 80.2 79.0 76.7

Male 82.8 83.1 82.3 81.0 79.0 76.2

Female 82.2 82.6 80.2 79.4 79.0 77.2

25-29 yrs 86.4 86.0 87.0 86.5 87.5 86.6

Male 94.8 97.0 97.0 96.0 96.2 94.6

Female 77.9 75.6 77.8 77.6 79.4 78.9

Total 64.9 64.8 65.3 64.5 64.9 64.3

Male 79.2 79.8 79.9 79.1 79.6 78.4

Female 50.3 50.5 51.3 50.6 50.9 50.0

Table A.7: Youth Education (%)

Primary Secondary JC/Poly University Total

15-19 yrs

1990 5.38 15.03 8.97 0.64 30.02

1995 2.38 16.40 11.40 0.66 30.85

20-24 yrs

1990 10.58 10.16 7.58 3.52 31.80

1995 5.03 10.17 12.87 6.01 34.08

25-29 yrs

1990 15.94 14.51 4.61 3.08 38.14

1995 8.25 11.49 9.55 5.78 35.07

Total

1990 31.90 39.7 21.15 7.24 100.0

1995 15.66 38.06 33.83 12.45 100.0

45


50/85

Table A.9: Employed Youth & Occupational Structure

% of workforce aged 15-29 years old

1990 1995

Professionals 18.2 29.9

Legislators, senior officials & managers (2.3) (3.5)Professionals (3.7) (7.8)

Technicians & associate professionals (12.2) (18.6)

Clerical workers 16.7 16.8

Sales and services workers 12.0 11.0

Production & related workers 44.6 32.6

Agricultural & fishery workers (0.1) (0.01)

Production craftsmen & related workers (12.1) (6.8)

Plant & machine operators & assemblers (20.2) (11.1)

Cleaners, labourers, & related workers (12.1) (14.7)

Workers not classifiable by occupation 8.5 9.7

Table A.10: Profile of Employed Youth

% of workforce aged 15-29 years old

1990 1995

% of economic active youth with:

Primary education 45.1 25.3

Secondary education 34.4 33.8

Polytechnic education 15.4 28.2

University education 5.1 12.7

% of working youth who are:

Self-employed 2.0 2.3

Employees 97.2 97.0

Unpaid family workers 0.8 0.7

% of total workforce Male 35 27

Female 48 40

46


51/85

Table A.12: Major Causes of Death of Young People (10-29 years) (Number)

1990 1995

M F T M F T

All causes 402 181 583 388 161 549

Disease of pulmonary circulation 27 9 36 26 8 34

and other forms of heart disease

Pneumonia 23 14 37 25 19 44

Motor vehicle traffic accidents 85 13 98 92 16 108Cancer 47 32 79 30 20 50

Suicides 58 41 99 44 36 80

Table A.11: Employed Youth by Monthly Wage Level and Age Group (Number)

Under 20 yrs 20-24 yrs 25-29 yrs

Monthly wage level (S$) 1990 1995 1990 1995 1990 1995

5,999 1 3 53 99 545 1,600

Unspecified 849 2,023 207 897 264 1,090

All Groups 42,783 35,896 143,034 136,121 206,868 202,016

47


52/85

Proportion of violent crimes: 7-15 yrs 20%16-19 yrs 31%

> 20 yrs 50%

Table A.15: Selected Violent Offences Committed (Number)

Jan-June 1994 Jan-June 1995

Rioting 64 76

Vandalism 25 30

Extortion by threat 8 24

Robbery with hurt 11 16

Simple robbery 12 14

Causing hurt with dangerous weapon 2 6

Criminal intimidation 1 5

Snatch theft 1 5

Table A.14: Types of Crimes Committed (%)

1994 1995

Shoplifting 33 41

Simple theft 18 14

Rioting 6 7

Bicycle theft 7 5

Motor vehicle theft 4 4

Housebreaking & theft 5 3

Robbery 4 3

Vandalism 3 3

Extortion 2 3

Others 18 17

Table A.13: Number of Young Offenders Arrested

1993 1995 1996

Number arrested 1,892 2,574 2,101

No of students arrested 1,484 2,239 1,773

% of girls arrested 21% 28% 29%

In 1995, those aged 7-15 accounted for 10% of all arrests.

48


53/85

Table A.16: Youth and Religion (%)

15-19 yrs 20-24 yrs 25-29 yrs 15-29 yrs

1990 1995 1990 1995 1990 1995 1990 1995

Buddhism 8.95 9.68 8.98 10.42 11.13 11.32 29.06 31.42

Taoism 5.91 5.90 5.74 6.79 6.81 6.12 18.46 18.81

Islam 4.99 4.79 5.89 5.24 7.11 5.65 17.99 15.68

Hinduism 0.98 0.88 1.26 0.97 1.53 1.30 3.77 3.15

Christianity 3.93 3.63 4.20 4.32 5.38 5.14 13.51 13.09

No religion 5.11 5.39 5.25 5.58 6.28 5.84 16.64 16.81

Others 0.15 0.18 0.18 0.22 0.22 0.19 0.55 0.59

49


54/85

TableA.17:P

opulationProjections

Projected

Population

GrowthRates

Re-projectedPopulation

(Baseyear=1985)

(Baseyear=1995)

AgeGrou

p

1995F

2000F

2005F

2010F

2

000/

2005/

2010/

1995

2000

2005

2010

1995

2000

2005

(Actual)

0-4

231.5

230.8

220.1

210.2

0.9969

0.9536

0.9550

237.4

236.7

225.7

215.5

5-9

220.8

231.0

230.2

219.6

1.0460

0.9969

0.9540

228.6

239.1

238.4

227.4

10-14

206.7

220.5

230.7

230.0

1.0668

1.0460

0.9970

215.7

230.1

240.7

240.0

15-19

192.2

206.4

220.2

230.3

1.0741

1.0668

1.0459

211.0

226.6

241.7

252.8

20-24

222.6

191.7

205.9

219.7

0.8614

1.0741

1.0670

229.1

197.3

211.9

226.1

25-29

233.5

221.9

191.1

205.3

0.9504

0.8614

1.0743

243.0

230.9

198.9

213.7

30-34

283.9

232.5

221.0

190.4

0.8189

0.9504

0.8615

292.9

239.9

228.0

196.4

35-39

291.9

282.3

231.2

219.7

0.9672

0.8189

0.9503

301.4

291.5

238.7

226.8

40-44

248.6

289.5

280.0

229.3

1.1647

0.9672

0.8189

264.4

307.9

297.8

243.9

45-49

204.4

245.0

285.6

276.2

1.1985

1.1657

0.9671

211.3

253.2

295.2

285.5

50-54

128.3

199.0

238.9

278.9

1.5515

1.2004

1.1631

132.8

206.0

247.3

287.6

55-59

119.4

122.6

190.8

229.5

1.0266

1.5559

1.2028

121.7

124.9

194.3

233.7

60-64

91.1

110.6

114.0

178.0

1.2134

1.0309

1.5614

97.2

117.9

121.5

189.7

65-69

71.5

80.9

98.7

102.1

1.1313

1.2207

1.0344

78.7

89.0

108.6

112.3

70-74

46.3

58.3

66.4

81.6

1.2580

1.1381

1.2289

51.8

65.2

74.2

91.2

75&u

p

57.2

64.1

76.9

90.7

1.1197

1.2000

1.1795

69.5

77.8

93.4

110.2

TOTAL

2,849.9

2,987.1

3,101.6

3,191.3

2,986.5

3,134.13

,256.3

3,352.8

Source:R

eestimatedbyauthorsfromprojectionsinNewPopu

lationandLaborForceP

rojectionsandPolicyImplicationsfor

Singapore,SawSweeHock

,Singapore:InstituteofSoutheastAsianStudies,19

87.

50


55/85

The Education System

Chart 1

Employment

UniversitiesUNIVERSITY

EDUCATION

GCE A - Level

POST

SECONDAYEDUCATION

Institute of

Technical

Education

Appren

ticeship

Polytechnics

Junior

Colleges

S 5N

GCE O - Level

GCE N - Level

SECONDARY

EDUCATION

PRIMARY

EDUCATION

Normal [Academic]/

Normal [Technical] Course

4 years

Special/Express

4 years

PSLE

Orientation Stage

P5 - P6

with 3 language streams

Centralised

Institutes/

Pre-UCentres

Foundation StageP1 - P4

TypicalAg

e

Yearsofschooling

19---1418---13

17---12

16---11

15---10

14---9

13---8

12---7

11---6

10---5

9---4

8---37---2

6---1

51


56/85

Table B.1: Youth Life-Goal by Demographics (%)

To get rich To acquire To live as I To improve Others

social like society &

position the world

Age

15-19 yr 25.1 9.1 50.3 12.8 2.720-24 yr 30.6 12.4 45.0 7.2 4.8

25-29 yr 39.0 13.8 36.9 5.6 4.6

Race

Chinese 31.6 11.1 46.6 6.4 4.3

Indians 50.0 19.4 19.4 11.1 -

Malays 21.3 13.8 41.3 18.8 5.0

Others 50.0 - 37.5 12.5 -

Education

Primary 48.2 7.1 30.4 7.1 7.1

Secondary 35.5 7.7 39.1 13.6 4.1

Junior college 34.7 10.2 49.0 4.1 2.0

Polytechnic 23.5 16.9 53.0 3.6 3.0

Vocational 11.8 11.8 47.1 23.5 5.9

University 27.7 16.9 45.8 4.8 4.8

Table B.2: Youth Life-Goals Fifth World Youth Survey (%)

To live as I To get rich To acquire To work on NA/Others

like social behalf of

position society

Sweden 82.0 10.3 4.5 2.1 1.1

U.K. 67.7 14.6 8.9 7.2 1.7

Thailand 67.3 17.0 4.7 10.9 0.1

U.S.A 65.2 14.1 7.4 9.6 3.8Germany 64.5 6.4 16.9 6.1 6.0

Russia 62.0 12.3 20.3 3.6 1.9

Korea 57.5 24.3 6.4 11.8 0.0

Japan 56.3 28.3 4.5 6.5 4.5

Brazil 53.2 10.7 20.3 15.6 0.2

France 52.6 10.3 28.2 7.5 1.5

Philippines 40.2 21.5 8.0 29.9 0.4

Singapore 44.1 (261) 31.6 (187) 11.8 (70) 8.4 (50) 4.1 (24)

NB: Figure in brackets refers to number of respondents.

52


57/85

Table B.4: Personal Satisfaction of Youth by Age (%)

Make Work Study Sports / Family Friends Alone Others

society hobbies

better

off

Age

15-19 yr 10.4 4.9 13.2 22.0 7.1 34.6 3.3 4.4

20-24 yr 9.6 15.7 7.1 14.6 13.1 29.3 4.0 6.6

25-29 yr 5.9 27.1 1.6 10.6 27.7 20.7 1.1 5.3

Table B.3: Personal Satisfaction of Youth

% (Number)

When with friends 28.1 (160)

When with family 16.2 (92)

When engrossed in work 16.0 (91)

When concentrating on sports or hobbies 15.6 (89)

When doing something to make society better off 8.6 (49)

When engrossed in study 7.2 (41)

Alone 2.8 (16)

Others 5.4 (31)

When with family & friends/lovers 1.9 (11)

When concentrating on sports & with friends 0.7 (4)

All of the above options 0.7 (3)

53


58/85

Table B.5: Top 5 Personal Satisfaction of Youth Fifth World Youth Survey (%)

Order 1 2 3 4 5

Country

Japan F D B E G

70.8 59.5 27.0 23.5 17.3

U.S.A F E A D B

79.0 76.8 44.6 37.0 33.8

U.K. F E D B G

81.0 67.0 43.0 39.2 31.6

Germany F D E B C

70.6 47.2 44.1 28.1 19.5

France F E D B C

77.6 64.2 48.9 28.9 26.7

Sweden F E D G A

91.0 67.3 59.2 40.0 18.4

Korea B F A D E

55.9 37.5 33.9 28.0 27.6

Philippines E F A B C

84.8 50.3 36.7 33.6 21.3

Thailand E F B A C62.2 48.7 46.6 44.1 38.1

Brazil E F A D B

71.6 43.4 32.5 19.0 14.1

Russia F E D G B

65.3 43.4 32.5 22.2 20.9

Singapore F E B D A

28.1 16.2 16.0 15.6 8.6

A: When doing something

on behalf of society

B: When engrossed in work

C: When engrossed in study

D: When concentrating

on sports or hobbies

E: When with family

F: When with friends

G: When alone, not being

bothered by others

NB: Singapore survey pertains to single answer only unlike the Fifth World Youth Survey

which allows multiple answers.

54


59/85

Table B.7: Youth Major Concerns

% (Number)

Money 55.2 (331)

Work 44.3 (266)

Family 41.7 (250)

Friends 33.8 (203)

Relation with opposite sex 29.5 (177)

Health 28.2 (169)

School work 25.3 (152)

Getting a job 22.3 (134)

Personal appearance 20.3 (122)

Personality problems 14.7 (88)

Sex 8.3 (50)Getting into the school of my choice 8.2 (49)

There is nothing troubling me 7.3 (44)

Political/social problems 6.0 (36)

Others 1.2 (7)

Table B.6: Important Factor for Becoming Successful

% (Number)

Personal effort 32.4 (189)

Personal abilities 22.1 (129)

Opportunity 15.2 (89)

Good education 11.8 (69)

Luck 10.3 (60)

Social status 3.9 (23)

Right connections 3.6 (21)

Others 0.7 (4)

55


60/85

Table B.8: Youth Major Concerns by Gender (%)

Male Female

Family Yes 35.5 47.8

No 64.5 52.2

Friends Yes 27.6 40.0

No 72.4 60.0

Sex Yes 5.9 10.8

No 94.1 89.2

Political / social Yes 8.9 3.1

No 91.1 96.9

Personality Yes 11.2 18.0

No 88.8 82.0

Appearance Yes 13.2 27.5

No 86.8 72.5

56


61/85

Table B.9: Top 5 Youth Major Concerns Fifth World Youth Survey (%)

Order 1 2 3 4 5

Country

Japan G D C F J

34.9 26.8 21.5 18.8 16.6

U.S.A G C H F A

55.5 31.0 27.9 25.9 23.0

U.K. G C H D J

60.3 35.8 23.4 18.9 14.8

Germany G H C D J

28.4 26.1 17.0 12.0 11.0

France G C A H J

37.3 34.7 32.7 20.2 16.0

Sweden G C H B D

54.1 41.7 23.2 19.7 15.3

Korea C A B G I

37.5 33.9 30.9 28.3 25.9

Philippines G C E J I

60.5 41.5 19.4 18.7 18.3

Thailand G C D A B47.7 24.5 17.8 16.0 15.1

Brazil G C J D H

20.3 17.3 10.2 9.7 9.6

Russia G J E D C

53.1 31.4 27.8 23.8 17.4

Singapore G D E K F

55.2 44.3 41.7 33.8 29.5

A: School work

B: Getting into the school

of my choice

C: Getting a job

D: Work

E: Family

F: Relations with the

opposite sex

G: Money

H: Political and social

problems

I: Personality problems

J: Health

K: Friends

57


62/85

Table B.10: Advisors Whom Youth Approach

% (Number)

Friends 100.4 (603)

Friends in my club or group (41.8%)

Girlfriends/boyfriends (36.0%)

Neighbourhood/school friends (17.8%)

School friends who are older than me (4.8%)

Mother 23.8 (143)

Brothers/sisters 21.8 (131)

Wife/husband 12.7 (76)

Colleagues at work 11.8 (71)

I go to no one for advice 9.5 (57)

Father 8.8 (53)

Superiors/friends who are older than me 8.5 (51)

Professional/school/religious counselors 3.2 (19)

Teacher 1.2 (7)

Others 0.5 (3)

58


63/85

Table B.11: Top 5 Adivsors Whom Youth Approach Fifth World Youth Survey (%)

Order 1 2 3 4 5

Country

Japan E B H A C

51.9 37.7 21.1 18.8 17.7

U.S.A B H E A C

54.9 39.2 32.4 30.1 29.5

U.K. B H A C F

53.5 37.2 27.9 26.7 26.6

Germany B H A E C

50.0 45.4 28.2 27.7 21.6

France B E H C A

53.8 37.0 35.4 28.8 22.5

Sweden B A E C H

67.9 47.3 42.8 35.8 27.7

Korea E B C A G

63.6 29.6 24.6 13.4 10.7

Philippines B A C E F

77.2 50.7 33.3 25.6 16.6

Thailand B A F C E72.2 60.0 36.2 26.5 16.9

Brazil B H E C A

43.0 23.6 22.6 17.6 16.5

Russia B F D A H

53.1 28.4 26.1 19.6 16.5

Singapore F H B C E

40.5 36.0 23.8 21.8 17.8

A: Father

B: Mother

C: Brothers and sisters

D: Wife / husband

E: Neighborhood or

school friends

F: Friends in my club

or group

G: School friends who

are older than me

H: Lover

59


64/85

Table B.13: Youth Views on Marriage by Demographics (%)

Should Better to Not necessary Better not Dont know

marry marry to marry to marry

Education

Primary 42.9 35.7 14.3 3.6 3.6

Secondary 53.6 20.5 11.6 1.8 12.5

Junior college 52.0 16.0 28.0 2.0 2.0

Polytechnic 42.8 34.9 16.3 0.6 5.4

Vocational 44.4 22.2 11.1 - 22.2

University 32.9 43.5 15.3 2.4 5.9

Race

Chinese 42.3 31.3 16.5 1.5 8.5

Indians 62.2 18.9 5.4 5.4 8.1

Malays 62.5 17.5 11.3 1.3 7.5

Others 50.0 40.0 10.0 - -

Table B.12: Youth Views on Marriage

% (Number)

For marriage 74.5 (451)

One should marry 46.3 (278)

It is better to marry 28.2 (173)

Against marriage 16.7 (100)

It is not necessary to marry 15.0 (90)

It is better not to marry 1.7 (10)

Dont know 8.2 (49)

60


65/85

Table B.15: Qualities Important in a Marriage% (Number)

Mutual trust 40.6 (240)

Commitment 38.1 (225)

Companionship 12.4 (73)

Financial independence 3.6 (21)

Fidelity 3.2 (19)

Others 2.2 (13)

Table B.14: Youth Views on Marriage Fifth World Youth Survey (%)

Should Better to Not Better Dont NA

marry marry neccessary not to know

to marry marry

Philippines 46.2 36.4 4.1 2.8 10.4 0.1

Japan 17.0 55.3 16.0 0.9 9.8 0.9

Russia 32.5 37.9 19.2 2.8 6.4 1.1

Thailand 37.3 27.2 24.4 3.6 4.5 3.0

Korea 14.7 49.3 28.7 1.5 5.8 -

U.S.A. 21.5 26.1 39.3 3.1 8.3 1.7

Brazil 18.7 25.1 42.1 12.6 1.0 0.5

France 7.7 32.4 51.7 6.4 1.2 0.7

Germany 14.4 23.2 42.5 6.6 9.5 3.7

Sweden 16.8 17.4 59.9 3.0 2.4 0.5

U.K. 12.3 19.6 61.2 4.1 1.5 1.2

Singapore 46.3 28.2 15.0 1.7 8.2 -

61


66/85

Table B.18: Youth Views on Divorce by Gender (%)

Not allowed Not to if there A better option Should be opted if

are children under certain there is

the state of youth in singapore

Documents

state of youth

profile of singapore

youth statistics

monitoring youth development

singapore meansto

various aspects of youth

youth4 singapore identity

research methodology