Why unreasonable behaviour is the top reason cited for divorce in Singapore, and adultery the least
Statistics from Singapore show that 'unreasonable behaviour' is the most common reason for civil divorce, while adultery is rarely cited. Legal experts note that differences in legal frameworks between civil and Muslim divorce laws account for the varying statistics regarding infidelity.
Why it matters
Understanding these legal and social trends provides insight into family law dynamics and cultural differences in marital dissolution.
SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): Almost half, or 48.7 per cent, of all civil, or non-Muslim, couples who divorced in 2025 cited unreasonable behaviour, making it the most commonly used reason for such marital breakdowns.
Adultery was the least commonly cited fact, accounting for just 0.9 per cent of civil divorces in the same year, according to marriage and divorce statistics released by the Department of Statistics on July 10.
This stands in contrast to Muslim divorces.
Some 18.4 per cent of couples who divorced under Muslim law cited infidelity as the “main issue” for the marital breakdown, making it the second most commonly cited issue after personality differences (21.5 per cent).
Lawyers say the gap reflects differences in the legal frameworks governing civil and Muslim divorces, rather than suggesting adultery is significantly more common among Muslim couples.
Q: How do civil and Muslim divorces differ?
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