‘Very unhealthy’ for adults to live with parents: Ex-NMP Calvin Cheng on more young S’poreans moving out
Former Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) Calvin Cheng has said it is “very unhealthy” for adults to live with their parents.
A Straits Times article published on Aug 2 about more young Singaporeans under the age of 35 wanting to live independently has sparked online debate, with netizens divided over the issue.
While moving out before marriage or before the age of 35 remains uncommon in Singapore, more young people are choosing to do so for “greater independence, privacy, or simply to have a space of their own”.
According to data from the Department of Statistics, the number of Singapore citizens and permanent residents under the age of 35 living alone more than doubled from 10,500 in 2016 to 22,600 in 2025.
A new independent living initiative under the SG Youth Plan aims to meet this demand, with two private co-living operators offering more than 100 subsidised rental units for those aged 21 to 35.
‘Very unhealthy’ for adults to live with parents: Calvin Cheng
Weighing in on the issue, Cheng took a firm stance, saying he believed it was “very unhealthy for grown ass adults to live with their parents.”
The Facebook post, published on Aug 2, has since garnered more than 130 comments.
Cheng said that once people start earning an income, they should move out and live independently. Otherwise, they would “never grow up”, adding that everyone needs their own space.
He described Singapore’s culture of many people living with their parents until they marry as “archaic” and said it was “(stunting) people’s emotional growth”.
Cheng added that he moved out as soon as he got a job, and said the Government should do more to help young people have their own living spaces.
Netizens divided
The issue has sparked online debate, with netizens divided. While some agreed with Cheng’s views, others had opposing views.
In the Facebook comments, some netizens supported the idea of young Singaporeans moving out, with one describing it as a valuable learning experience and saying it was ultimately a personal choice.
“Solo living is the best,” a user said.
Another agreed that moving out could help young Singaporeans become “more mature”, teaching them to manage their finances, live independently and solve everyday problems on their own. “These are valuable life skills that help them grow into capable adults.”
“’The umbilical cord’ has to be severed,” one commenter wrote, adding that moving out helps foster qualities such as resilience, independence, responsibility and accountability.
However, many netizens disagreed, with some arguing that moving out would be disrespectful to their parents.
“This is not living independently... It’s not willing to contribute to parents,” a user wrote.
Another said parents would “not be happy”, arguing that young Singaporeans would be “wasting money on rent” instead of contributing to household expenses.
“The ‘independence’ young adults say they want really is just the ability to come and go at all hours of the day or night, treating the home like a hotel without being asked what time they will be home,” they wrote.
One commenter pointed out that while living with one’s parents may seem unhealthy to some, others see it as “reasonable”, especially for “adult children with understanding parents” who genuinely want daily interaction with them and to care for their ageing parents after work.
Others described staying with their parents as the more “pragmatic” choice.
Another said the decision ultimately depends on family dynamics and cautioned against “overgeneralising”.
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