Many readers would have already seen the latest official national statistics reported in the General Household Survey published in June 2026.1 It was reported that there are fewer Christians in Singapore and a decline in the proportion of Christians in the general population. This is a significant statistical decrease, which rightly calls for reflection among Christians.2
Yet beyond the topline, the official statistics reveal deeper threads within the tapestry of the Christian community in Singapore.
Before diving in headlong, we note that official statistics typically refer to Singaporeans and Permanent Residents aged 15 and above and disaggregate Christians into (Roman) Catholics and “other Christians”. The latter category includes groups such as Eastern Orthodox. Without any disrespect to these other Christians, while recognising their relatively fewer numbers in Singapore, this article uses the shorthand “Protestant Christians” to refer to the official statistical category of “other Christians”.
More importantly, it is crucial to remember that amid statistical analysis, we are careful not to treat people as mere numbers. After all, we Christians affirm that each person is an image-bearer of the God who formed this universe. Behind every number is a name.
So, what do national statistics show about what’s going on in these lives?
Observation 1: There are (quite a lot) more females than males among Protestant Christians in Singapore
Among Protestant Christians, there are 155,400 men and 190,500 women, which translates to 123 females per 100 males. This is 15% higher than the nationalwide level of 107 females per 100 males. This gap in the sex ratio has been around for at least 25 years (Chart 1).
Chart 1
Why is this? Is Christianity somehow more attractive to women than to men? (This seems to be a pattern observed globally). But focussing on Singapore, in what ways does Protestant Christianity in Singapore resonate more with women versus with men? Are our evangelism and discipleship strategies connecting effectively with both sexes?
Observation 2: The statistical decrease of Christians between 2020-2025 impacted more women than men
One might hypothesise that Christianity is equally attractive to males and females, but has a higher “retention” rate for women, thus resulting in a higher female:male ratio. This seems sensible, but is disproven by recent data.
As Chart 2 shows, the recent decrease in number of Protestant Christians is far larger among women (-41.9k) than men (-23.9k). Similarly, in previous time periods’ increases, more women than men were impacted.
Chart 2
Why is this? Are there some factors causing more women than men to leave Christianity? This article explores some driving forces in American culture. Singapore is obviously not (and certainly should not be) America. But are some of these underlying dynamics also at play in our society?
Observation 3: There is a potential marriage mismatch among Protestant Christians in Singapore
Not everyone desires marriage, and marriage is not for everyone. Scripture is clear about this in 1 Corinthians 7.
However, for those considering or exploring marriage, is there a suitable pool of potential marriage partners in the first place? The female:male ratio of 123 females per 100 males suggests an underlying demographic imbalance.
What if we looked into the female:male ratio at different age groups? In particular, among those in their 20s and 30s, when the majority of marriages occur.
This further sleuthing (Chart 3) reveals that among Protestants aged 20–24, there are in fact slightly more men than women. However, this reverses at older ages, with more females than males across all age groups from 25 and older.
Chart 3
Interestingly, the most recent 2025 data show equal numbers of males and females among Protestants in the 35–39 age group. Why is this the case? Is this a statistical anomaly or the beginning of a deeper shift? Further analysis is needed.
More broadly, compared with previous years, the female:male ratio has declined in 2025, across most age groups. Sadly, this is not due to a rise in numbers of Protestant men. Quite the opposite—the lower female:male ratio is due to more women than men leaving Christianity, as we saw above.
Overall, there continues to be more Protestant women than men in the 20–39 age range. In other words, there is an underlying demographic imbalance in terms of potential marriage partners. What does this mean for Christians seeking marriage?
Observation 4: Christians are marrying non-Christians
Not surprisingly, given the imbalanced sex ratio, a noticeable proportion of Christian women do marry non-Christian men.
Chart 4
In 2024, 10,500 Christians registered a civil marriage. Out of these, 3,800 involved a non-Christian spouse (See Chart 4. Note that in this dataset, there is no breakdown between Roman Catholic or Protestant Christians).
There is no significant gender difference. In 2024, 1,970 Christian brides wed non-Christian men, just a tad higher than the 1,837 Christian grooms who married non-Christian wives.
Essentially, more than one-third (36%) of all Christians who wed in 2024 got married to a non-Christian. And this is by no means a new phenomenon. As far back as 1995, the proportion was similar, at 32%.
Here’s another view (Chart 5): In 2025, there were 107,800 resident households with at least one Protestant Christian spouse. Of these, 27,100 households (25%) comprise a Protestant with a non-Christian spouse.
Chart 5
Now, various churches, denominations, pastors, and church leaders in Singapore have differing views on Christians marrying non-Christians. Some consider this a sin, others deem it ill-advised, still others take it more neutrally. This article is not the place to dive into those various positions.
Rather, we focus on the data. The numbers show the lived reality: Christians are getting married to non-Christians. Quite a number. For quite some time.
How then, are our churches discipling those who are already in such “mixed” marriages? How are our churches supporting and journeying with Christian sisters who desire marriage and yet experience the skewed female:male ratio in our churches?
Observation 5: Singles and “singles-again” form a significant proportion of the Singapore Protestant community
Of course, not every Christian gets married. Some are single by choice, others are single by circumstance.
102,800 Singapore Protestant Christians are of “single” marital status, i.e. have never been married. This is 30% of all Protestants aged 15 and older, a significant minority (Chart 6).
In addition, even those who are married have to face the reality of becoming “single-again”. This refers not just to divorce. The death of one’s spouse also makes one a single again. The pathways to becoming “single-again” are painful ones, entailing either the death of a spouse, or the death of a marriage.
There are 30,000 “singles-again” spread across our churches, constituting almost 9% of Protestants. How well are our Singapore churches doing in embracing, discipling, and walking with this group of brothers and sisters?
Chart 6
Overall, 132,800 Protestant brothers and sisters are singles or singles-again. That is not a small number. Almost 40% of the people in our churches are singles, or singles-again. What proportion of our church programmes are catered to disciple and support this group? How many of our fellow congregants have heard sermons or teaching about singlehood? How many have inadvertently been made to feel second-class in our Christian community?
Reflections
National statistics has revealed quite a bit about male and female, single and married Christians in Singapore. For some readers, these observations may be new. For others, the statistics give voice to what has already been noticed “on the ground”.
These data are not the end, not the final word. Statistics are but windows. Data should spur us to ask deeper questions as to what is really going on.
Questions we can ask include: Do our approaches to evangelism and discipleship resonate more strongly with one sex than the other? Do our sisters face greater struggles and challenges resulting in more women than men leaving the church? What are the long-term impacts of an imbalanced sex ratio for Christian discipleship in the areas of marriage and family formation? How well are our churches journeying with couples in mixed (Christian and non-Christian) marriages? Are we addressing and supporting the singles and singles-again in our church communities, even as we rightly speak of the importance of marriage and children?
The astute reader will notice that this article has raised many questions but provided few concrete answers. Intentionally so. For these are not observations limited to my own church, or to Methodists.
Rather, these data are relevant for all of us Christians here in Singapore. Together, we need to work out answers and strategies for real-life discipleship and genuine community. The best answers must come from each of us, in our own churches, in the specific communities in which we have a role and a stake.
For in the end, these statistics are not just a numbers game. We remember that ultimately, behind every number is a name, a person formed in God’s own image.
Rev Gilbert Lok has undergraduate training in Economics (1st-class Honours, NUS), and postgraduate degrees in Divinity (TTC) and New Testament (Oxford). Formerly a civil servant, Gilbert now serves as a pastor at Barker Road Methodist Church.
