From Marriage to Carriage: Age at Marriage, Interval to Birth, and Age at First Birth in Singapore

The postponement of first births is a key cause of declining period fertility rates, with East Asian societies experiencing weak recovery from the tempo effect. This paper investigates factors behind achievement of ideal ages at marriage and first birth in Singapore, where the first birth interval is relatively long. Using survey data from 657 married women aged 25-34, I find that almost half of women who marry do so within one year of the ideal age, while the rest are almost equally likely to do so either earlier or later than ideal. Less than 30% have their first child within six months of the ideal interval to first birth, with around 50% waiting longer than ideal, so that only around 40% have their first child within one year of the ideal age. Regression results show that co-residence with a foreign domestic worker and paid leave entitlements are associated with higher probability of achieving the ideal interval. Later-than-ideal marriage and first birth reduce the number of children born at the time of survey, but do not significantly affect marital and life satisfaction.