Heterogeneity among the never married in a low-fertility context

Jolene Tan
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Jolene Tan: Australian National University

Demographic Research, 2022, vol. 47, issue 24, 727-776

Abstract: Background: While there has been extensive research on trends in marriage and singlehood, few studies have examined heterogeneity among never-married individuals in a low-fertility context. As a country that has experienced a steady decline in marriage and an accompanying rise in singlehood, Singapore presents a compelling context in which to study the singlehood phenomenon. Objective: This study aims to understand variations in the never-married population based on their family-related attitudes. It seeks to classify the never married into subgroups and examine how these groups relate in terms of their sociodemographic traits and marriage desires. Methods: Using data from the Perceptions of Singles on Marriage and Having Children study (N = 1,980), latent class analysis was performed to develop a typology of the never married. Latent class analysis applies a person-centered approach to identify heterogeneity between and homogeneity within subgroups based on associations among a set of observed indicators. Results: Four never-married subgroups were identified: family conservatives (37%), conflicted conservatives (24%), family progressives (22%), and family skeptics (17%). There were distinct characteristics among subgroups in terms of age, sex, and relationship status. A strong gradient in marriage desires was found across the never-married subgroups, implying that variations between subgroups are an important determinant of the desire to marry. Conclusions: The paper highlights the importance of recognizing diversity among the never-married population as a first step to understanding the flight from marriage. Contribution: These findings have implications for societies with declining marriage and fertility rates, especially in contexts where marriage is closely linked to childbearing.

Keywords: singlehood; marriage; low fertility; latent class analysis; Singapore (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J1 Z0 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:dem:demres:v:47:y:2022:i:24

DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2022.47.24

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