[Article contributed by Han Hui Hui]
According to the Department of Statistics’(DOS) latest Monthly Digest of Statistics August, there are 1.880.0 males to 1.938.2 million females.
Males exceed females age 0-24?
The number of males exceeds females for the following age groups:
[Age ('000)]
0 – 4: 94.9M, 91.7F
5 – 9: 105.9M, 101.3F
10 – 14: 119.7M, 113.6F
15 – 19: 132.1M, 126.8F
20 – 24: 132.7M, 131.8F
Females exceed males age 25 – 44?
However, the trend reverses for the following age groups whereby females exceed males:
[Age ('000)]
25 – 29: 123.1M, 131.5F
30 – 34: 140.7M, 154.7F
35 – 39: 152.3M, 161.7F
40 – 44: 151.2M, 157.6F
Males exceed females age 45 – 59?
Then, from age 45 onward, the trend changes back to males exceeding females:
[Age ('000)]
45 – 49: 161.1M, 159.8F
50 – 54: 156.6M, 153.8F
55 – 59: 136.4M, 135.4F
Females exceed males age 60 & over?
From age 65 onward, the trend changes again to females exceeding males:
[Age ('000)]
60 – 64: 105.8M, 108.2F
65 – 69: 62.4M, 66.5F
70 – 74: 47.9M, 56.5F
75 – 79: 79.7M, 38.0F
80 – 84: 17.5M, 26.6F
85 & over: 11.1M, 22.5F
Although we know next to nothing about population studies and analysis, do bear with us for our layman’s views on the above.
Longer life expectancy?
For females exceeding males increasing from age 60 onward – could it be primarily due to the longer life expectancy of females?
Sudden drop in males?
What we find particularly puzzling is the trend of females exceeding males from age 25 to 44.
In fact, the ratio of males to females declines rapidly from 1.01 (age 20 – 24) to 0.94 (age 25 – 29), 0.91 (age 30 – 34), 0.94 (age 35 – 39) and 0.96 (age 40 – 44).
Why?
What could be the reasons for the above?
Can the experts help to enlighten us?
Could it be and to what extent has so many studies indicating that many Singaporeans want to leave the country, that we are one of the most unhappy, most stressed, longest weekly work hours, most expensive public housing, lowest public healthcare spending as a percentage of GDP, in the world, less than one per cent real median income growth in the last decade or so, etc. – contributed to or help to explain this significant decline in the male population relative to females, for these age groups?
National Con?
Was the above highlighted to any of the 47,000 Singaporeans who took part in the yearlong National Conversation?
Han Hui Hui and Leong Sze Hian
P.S. Thanks to Han Hui Hui for spotting the above population trend in the first place (that’s the difference between a 59 and a 22 year old!)