Child-Free Lifestyle in Singapore: Living Life on Your Own Terms

1 day ago
4 min read

Written by: Tan Chong Rong

No diapers. No tuition fees. No screaming toddlers. Just a life full of dreams, freedom, and plenty of peaceful days.

More young Singaporeans are rethinking the traditional life script. For some, this means choosing not to have children and living as DINKs (Dual Income, No Kids) or SINKs (Single Income, No Kids). So what does a fulfilling life look like when parenthood isn’t part of the plan?

According to the Department of Statistics’ 2024 data, 15% of ever-married women aged 40–49 in Singapore have no children. That’s more than double the 7.1% in 2004. And the number is growing, as younger generations weigh the emotional, financial and time costs of having kids against their own goals and dreams.

Choosing a Child-Free Life on Your Own Terms

For me, being a parent just never felt like part of my story. Not for dramatic reasons like climate fears or worries of overpopulation, I just never felt the desire to raise someone in my image. Right now, what I really want is for time to slow down. I want to live somewhere with cool weather, watch the seasons change, and enjoy simple, quiet moments. Maybe that’s why I love Ghibli films. They make lying on the grass and watching clouds feel like time well spent. That kind of magic speaks to me.

Awa, 30, a veterinarian based in rural Scotland, is already living that freedom. She’s moved from Queensland to Edinburgh to Scotland’s remote shores, chasing her love for sea mammals and vet work. “I’m here for a good time, not a long time,” she says. “And I don’t have the energy to raise a child the way they deserve.”

She lives a free-spirited life, filled with adventures like rescuing baby seals, learning bookbinding, and dropping in on friends around the world. She adds, “boarding kennels are a lot easier to arrange for than extended childcare!”

More Time, More Freedom and More Clarity

Benedict, 40, and his wife Joanne, 36, say that not having kids gives them space emotionally, financially and in their relationship. They live on less than $2,500 a month, share their home with four cats, and dream of RV-ing around the US when they retire.

“Sometimes it can feel like we’re missing out when we see peers with kids,” Benedict admits.

But then we remember what they gave up. There’s no right or wrong here, just whether one is happy or not.

That clarity helps them stay focused on what matters: their marriage, faith-based community work, and mentoring young traders who want to use their skills to do good.

Choosing Freedom to Explore

Marcus and his wife, both 32, are taking a bold step to try out a new life in Australia. “Singapore felt too stressful, expensive, and crowded,” says Marcus. “We wanted to see if there’s more to life beyond work.”

Staying child-free, at least for now, gives them the freedom to explore. But they are not being reckless. “We live well below our means so we can keep our options open,” Marcus explains. “Even if we choose to have kids later, we want to be ready.”

The Financial Reality of a Child-Free Lifestyle

While a child-free lifestyle comes with perks: flexibility, freedom, and savings, it also comes with blind spots.

An OCBC survey in November 2024 found that DINK couples are behind parents on their retirement planning. On a scale from 0 to 100, where 0 means they have not started planning at all and 100 means that they are ahead in their planning, DINKs averaged just 33 compared while couples with kids averaged 44. They were also less likely to seek professional advice or review their finances annually.

The reasons? Some delay planning, assuming they have more time. Others assume no kids means fewer worries, but forget that they won’t have adult children to lean on in old age.

Planning for Retirement Without Children

If you don’t plan to have kids, it’s even more important to prepare well for the future. That means getting the basics right across three areas: money, friendships, and health.

Financially, build multiple sources of passive income so that you don’t rely on working forever. Start thinking about long-term care arrangements and where you want to live. Benedict and Joanne are already planning to downsize. Choosing smaller homes, places with no stairs, or spots near clinics and public transport will make life easier later on.

Socially, strong friendships and community matter even more. Marcus and his wife dream of forming a “village” of friends to grow old with and support one another. Staying close to trusted neighbours or joining active community groups can make a huge difference.

Health-wise, staying active and mobile helps you stay independent for as long as you can. Beyond self-care, continue to contribute to the people around you so that you can continue to live meaningfully and stay connected. Keeping both your body and mind well is one of the best gifts you can give your future self.

Whether through strong friendships, faith circles or co-living models, child-free adults are reimagining aging not as a lonely drift into decline, but as a phase of shared support and continued purpose.

A Child-Free Life Still Needs a Plan

Being child-free isn’t about avoiding responsibility. It’s about choosing a different kind. It means being more mindful about how we spend our time and money, and in return, we get the freedom to build a life that brings us joy, growth, and connection in our own way.

While being child-free allows us to spend more freely, it can also mean lagging behind in retirement planning compared to couples with children.

That’s why it’s important to start planning early, to ensure we have enough for the future while still keeping the freedom to spend meaningfully today.

Whether we’re raising kids, furbabies, or just learning to care for ourselves better, what really matters is that we’re living a life we chose and not one we just fell into. With open eyes and a clear plan, being child-free isn’t settling for less. It’s making space for more. And for many of us, it feels like freedom.

Sources:

¹Department of Statistics: Singapore Population (2014-2024)

²DINKs trail parents on 8 out of 24 OCBC financial wellness index indicators

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal and financial advice on any subject matter. It should not be relied upon as financial advice.