I was recently reading a recent Pew study which found that 71 percent of unmarried Americans aren't in committed relationships. However, I think that there is a big cultural and generational differences in the meaning of "single," "dating" and "having kids."
There was a bloomberg article talking about Japan's low birthrate is not as a result of the citizens not interested in having relationships. Some people in Japan though think that it is a result of exorbitant living costs, elevated stress and diminished confidence.
Even after two decades of deflation, prices in Japan for everything from rent to food to entertainment remain among the highest in the world. Economic stagnation and changes in labor laws have restrained wage growth and enabled companies to swap employees into low-paying part-time jobs with few benefits. This means forcing many to work additional jobs. If you leave for work at 6 a.m. and get home close to midnight, including weekends, where is there time for dating?
Looking at this in relation to Singapore, it seems that we're facing the same issue here, although not as serious as Japan. I wake up at 6+ am in the morning and I only reach home at 9+pm at night every working day. And no, I do not spend time at work surfing the internet aimlessly or chatting with people on Facebook.
If we do not have any time to chill and relax, where is the face to face social networking that is essential in any relationships? You cannot have kids via Facebook, that's is a fact.
Unless there is a change in labour policies that will give workers time for their social commitment, then the low birth rate will continue, despite you have a "married" status. That is a fact.
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