SINGAPORE - What's love got to do with money or age?

Plenty, going by new data on marital dissolution in a report published by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF).

MSF tracked divorces and annulments among Singaporeans and permanent residents who wed between 1987 and 2015.

It found that several factors made a difference.

1. Education

Among couples with less education, a much higher percentage of them end their marriages.

For example, among those who got married in 2001, 20.8 per cent of men and 20.6 per cent of women with secondary education or lower ended their marriage before the 10th anniversary.

This is more than double the 8.4 per cent of men and 8.6 per cent of women with university education.

Fei Yue Community Services deputy executive director Arthur Ling said educational levels are often tied to income, and the cost of raising a family and other financial stress factors often put a strain on marriages.

He said: "When there is insufficient income and a poor ability to resolve conflict, these couples become more vulnerable as compared with another family where income is sufficient and hence, one critical component of the marriage - financial stability - is dealt with."

2. Remarriages

The report also showed that in general, the proportion of marriages that ended was higher among those who remarried - either one partner or both - compared with first-timers.

For instance, for those who wed in 2001, the proportion of marriages that got dissolved before the 15th anniversary - where both partners were previously married - was 21.3 per cent for civil marriages and 36.5 per cent for Muslim marriages.

That is higher when compared with marriages where it is the first time for both bride and groom - 18.2 per cent for civil marriages and 28.9 per cent for Muslim marriages.

Care Corner Singapore chief services officer Agnes Chia said after a divorce, most couples bring the same communication methods and pattern of behaviour when they tie the knot again, which may lead to problems in their new marriage.

She said: "This is unless they had received some coaching or guidance in terms of how they can improve in how they communicate, as well as the way they consider family relationships and manage their individual expectations."

3. Age

A higher proportion of marriages where the grooms are younger ended, compared with marriages involving older grooms or younger brides.

For example, 14.3 per cent of marriages involving grooms aged between 20 and 24 - when they wed in 2011 - got dissolved by their fifth wedding anniversary.

This is more than double the 5.7 per cent for grooms aged 25 to 29, 5.2 per cent for grooms aged 30 to 34, and 5.9 per cent for grooms aged 35 to 39, and 7.4 per cent for grooms aged 40 and over.

Mr Ling said at such a young age, the men are more likely to be struggling to contribute financially at home or find stable jobs with a good income. They could also be less mature and less ready to shoulder the responsibility of raising a family compared with older grooms, leading to more break-ups.

Younger grooms could also be more likely to divorce than younger brides as women are more likely to be more emotionally involved and trying harder for the marriage to work, he added.

Ms Chia said: "It's not to say that men will not consider the various factors when thinking of a divorce, but women are usually more concerned, thinking about care needs of the children, whether they can earn enough money to sustain the child if divorced, and the importance of the child growing up in an intact family."