Commenting on the trend of fewer marriages and more divorces in 2019, SMU Dean of Students and Professor of Sociology (Practice) Paulin Straughan said that the year-on-year decline in marriage rates was disappointing, although the slight increase over the long term shows that marriage remains an important life goal among young Singaporeans. She suggested removing one of the obstacles to making marriages work, particularly in improving work-life balance and also having flexible work arrangements. She also expressed her worries that the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 may delay marriage and procreation plans among younger Singaporeans even further.