More marriages, citizen babies in 2014 in Singapore

MORE Singaporeans tied the knot in 2014, while the number of citizen births also went up.

The country's total fertility rate rose to 1.25 last year, up from 1.19 in 2013 but below the 1.29 in 2012. According to new figures released from the National Population and Talent Division (NPTD), there were about 33,000 citizen births in 2014, an improvement from the 31,000 in 2013.

As for marriages, there were about 24,000 that involved at least one Singaporean in 2014. This is 10 per cent more than the year before and the highest number since 1997.

"The increase in marriages is likely to be due in part to the greater availability of HDB flats, and in part to more Singaporeans, the children of our baby boomers, entering marriageable age," the NPTD said.

"The government has been supporting them in fulfilling their aspirations to marry and have children, for example by increasing the supply of HDB flats. We will continue to support Singaporean families, including in the area of child care, and make it easier for both fathers and mothers to share the experience of bringing up their children."