Mindboggling statistics

1 Singaporean commits suicide everyday on average. 70% of those who commit suicide in Singapore are between 20 and 49 years of age. They kill themselves mainly because of “financial commitments, having stress at work, caring for the elderly and the children at home”. (AFP, 8 September 2003)

18 divorces take place on average in Singapore every single day in 2003! In 1993, there were only 2,313 divorces. In 2003, there were 6,561 cases – an increase of 180%.

46%: This was the increase in the number of young Singaporeans below 35 who were issued writs for overdue debt – from 5,019 in 2000 to 7,328 in 2003. (The New Paper, 24 September 2003)

54% of nearly 3,000 laid-off Singaporean workers in the first quarter of 2004 were aged 40 and above. Those of you who are younger better think about this: 53% of Singapore’s workforce will be 40 or older in five years’ time. (The Star, 27 February 2005)

85% of elderly Singaporeans feel that their lives would be worse five years down the road. This is up by 14% since 2000. (Today, 21 June 2005)

$1,692 is the average monthly retirement income an average retired Singaporean will have – one of the lowest among 15 countries (including Australia, Canada, USA, Spain, Italy, Hong Kong and Japan) surveyed by AXA Insurance Group. Canada ranked first with $4,216. Yet, Singaporeans contribute the most to savings plans, that is, the CPF. (Today, 25 February 2005)

7,340 Singapore households were not able to pay their utility bills as of September 2005. (Channel News Asia, 20 September 2005)

14,000 Singaporean children were seen by psychiatrists at the Institute of Mental Health, of which 2,233 were new cases. (Straits Times, April 2002)

17,000 Singapore families or individuals sought help from Family Service Centres due mainly to retrenchment and debt problems in 2003 – up 32% from 2002. (Straits Times, 3 January 2005)

21,434 Singaporeans went bankrupt as of 31 December 2004 – the highest in Singapore’s history. (Straits Times, 19 January 2005)

22,540: This is the number of un-discharged Singaporean bankrupts as of August 2005. (Straits Times, 7 November 2005)

31,570 Singaporeans sought financial aid from the government in 2003. This was an increase of 40% from 2002 where 22,500 people sought assistance and 120% from 2001 (14,300). (Straits Times, 29 January 2005)

37,823 Singapore households could not afford to buy their own flats or rent homes as of the end of 2004. (Straits Times, 29 January 2005)

150,000 credit card holders in Singapore were in default as of the end of 2003. (Straits Times, 7 November 2005)

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