“Trust”, “Communication” and “Respect”.

These are the most important qualities for a marriage to flourish, according to 1,200 respondents in Families for Life (FFL)’s annual marriage poll conducted early this year. It was shared that majority (65%) of respondents have not attended marriage preparation programmes before, but more than half (59%) think that it is important for couples to attend marriage preparation programmes before getting married.

The FFL Marriage Poll 2016 was conducted between January and February 2016 to gauge attitudes towards marriage. The poll also revealed that couples face different issues at the various points of their marriage.

The top issues are “balancing family and work” (50.2%), “keeping the spark in the marriage alive” (46.1%) and “managing finances” (44.8%). When faced with challenging issues in their marriage, the majority (88.9%) was open to seek professional help such as marriage counselling. Some also turn to informal sources of help such as family, friends, community and faith based organisations.

Majority (62%) also agreed that it is important for married couples to find ways to pick up tips to improve their marriage, such as attending marriage enrichment programmes. 

Read the Marriage Convention 2016 Media Release for more details.