Compared to 1998 when only 18 per cent of such marriages involved men above 40, that proportion doubled to 35 per cent in 2008.

These men also tend to marry foreign women significantly younger, with four-fifths of their brides being under 40.

These figures, contained in an occasional paper put out by the National Population Secretariat (NPS), corroborate anecdotal evidence from marriage agencies, counsellors and MPs.

Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC MP Charles Chong says he now gets at least one plea for help each week from a resident who is in such a marriage, and numbers have been increasing over the past few years.

A number of these marriages fail due to cultural differences or financial difficulties, Mr Chong notes, even as he adds that 'many more are working well, and the children go on to excel in school'.

The NPS paper on marriages between citizens and non-Singaporeans over the past 10 years is part of an effort to highlight emerging population trends.

It comes at a time when more Singaporeans are marrying non-citizens. In 1998, 6,969 did so. This figure rose to 8,136 last year, making up one-third of all marriages here.

Of this group, 6,360 - 78 per cent - involve Singaporean men marrying foreign women.

Mr Chong estimates that about 60 foreign spouses become citizens each year in his constituency of 48,000.

Read the full report in Thursday's edition of The Straits Times.

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S'pore's population is 4.84m