read Trends Adulting

YouGov survey reveals interesting trends about dating in Singapore, including how long to wait before having sex

One in five Singapore residents thought a person should wait until marriage before having sex with their partner.

Shannon Kuan

Weird talents include playing the violin, but with a ukulele and a clothes hanger.

Published: 22 April 2022, 4:24 PM

The results of a YouGov survey that asked over 1,000 Singapore residents about their opinions on important relationship questions such as sex, marriage, and children was released on Friday (Apr 22).

About one in five Singapore residents thought a person should wait until marriage before having sex with their partners. About 12 per cent thought waiting for a year is enough, while 11 per cent thought it is fine to be intimate after one to two weeks after dating or entering a new relationship. There were also 16 per cent who answered don’t know.

Other options provided in the survey were one month (7 per cent), three months (8 per cent), six months (8 per cent), 9 months (3 per cent), two years (7 per cent), three years (5 per cent), 4 years or more (5 per cent).

survey-data-chart-couple-dating-relationship-milestone — The survey asked questions ranging from milestones at the start of a relationship to milestones regarding marriage and children. PHOTO CREDIT: YOUGOV

When it comes to dropping the “L word” bomb, 17 per cent of Singapore residents voted that waiting a week or two was a good amount of time to take before telling your partner you loved them.

However, men and women seem to have different opinions for this; as one in five men think it’s acceptable to say “I love you” within the first two weeks of dating, while only one in seven women agree.

When asked the ideal time frame of waiting before getting engaged, one year is the most voted for option with 23 per cent of Singapore residents choosing one year, while 20 per cent said two years would be better.

As for the time period of waiting until getting married, 22 per cent chose two years, while 17 per cent opted for waiting three years. Meanwhile, 15 per cent said that a year was enough of a wait before deciding to get married.

How long couples should wait before having children seems to be a rather undivided question, with the majority voting for longer time frames. About 20 per cent voted for marriage having to come first before having children, while another 20 per cent said just waiting four years or more was good enough.

The full survey result can be found here.