Singapore’s thirty-somethings are leaving home

FROM ONE perspective, Singapore is a singleton’s paradise. Young adults can often live rent-free, waited on by doting servants, in exchange for little more than an occasional hug. The secret of this cushy lifestyle is to live with one’s parents, as many Singaporeans do well into their 30s. They are encouraged by the government, which is fond of extolling family values. Housing policy makes it difficult for young people to untie the apron-strings, argues Wei-Jun Jean Yeung of the National University of Singapore. Almost 80% of Singaporeans live in subsidised public housing. They do not become eligible for a flat of their own until they marry or turn 35.