MEN are more open to dating women who earn more than them, have
a higher education level and who are taller than them. But women
are far less willing to bridge such gaps.
Almost 8 in 10 men in Singapore would date a women who earns
more (77 per cent) and who is more highly qualified than them (78
per cent), while almost 4 in 10 men here (38 per cent) would date a
taller woman.
Yet fewer than 3 in 10 women here would date a men who earns
less (26 per cent) or has lower educational qualifications than
them (27 per cent) and fewer than 1 in 5 here (16 per cent) would
date a shorter man.
This discrepancy came up in a recent survey of 1,191 singles
aged 26 to 40, of which 632 are from Singapore; the rest includes
respondents from Hong Kong and Malaysia and other nationalities.
The survey of dating attitudes and preferences was conducted by
dating agency Lunch Actually with the Matchmaking Institute (South
East Asia) in April and May.
The results were presented Thursday at the launch of a new
dating service, and come just days after the National Population
Secretariat's release of statistics which showed a growing pool of
singles.
Commenting on the survey results, the event's guest of honour Ms
Claire Chiang, co-chairperson of The Partner Connection Fund
Evaluation Panel - which provides seed funding to companies
providing dating services - said there was a need to change
people's mindsets about using education as the defining criteria in
finding a partner.
-- ST
