Table 2 Prevalence of multimorbidity by socio-demographic characteristics

Overall

1420

51.5

1.4

692

29.3

1.3

453

19.3

1.1

Age group

 60–74 years

770

47.2

1.7

419

31.1

1.6

305

21.6

1.4

 75–84 years

419

65.3

2.5

157

23.1

2.2

93

11.6

1.6

 85+ years

231

59.8

3.2

116

25.9

2.9

55

14.3

2.3

Gender

 Men

587

49.6

2.1

309

31.2

2

221

19.1

1.7

 Women

833

52.9

1.9

383

27.7

1.7

232

19.4

1.6

Ethnicity

 Chinese

540

50.7

1.7

291

29.9

1.5

181

19.4

1.3

 Malay

364

48.8

2

220

28.7

1.8

161

22.5

1.7

 Indian

491

62.7

1.8

172

21.8

1.6

109

15.5

1.4

 Others

25

67.7

7.9

9

26.4

7.2

2

5.9

4.1

Marital status

 Never married

59

41.8

5.3

44

33.5

5.2

33

24.6

4.7

 Married/cohabiting

798

50.4

1.8

398

29.4

1.7

288

20.2

1.5

 Widowed

500

58.5

2.6

227

28.1

2.4

109

13.4

1.9

 Divorced/separated

61

46.7

6.4

23

27.7

5.9

23

25.6

5.7

Education

 None

297

59.2

3.2

136

27.5

3

78

13.4

2.2

 Some, but did not complete primary

351

54.6

2.9

165

27.3

2.6

104

18.1

2.3

 Completed primary

359

52.7

2.9

164

26.3

2.5

117

21

2.4

 Completed secondary

267

44.4

3

148

33.2

2.9

102

22.5

2.6

 Completed tertiary

136

44.9

4.2

76

35

4.1

50

20.1

3.4

Employment status

 Paid work (part-time and full-time)

295

41

2.5

205

32.8

2.4

188

26.2

2.3

 Unemployed (looking for work)

16

45.8

12

11

46.4

12.1

5

7.8

4.6

 Homemaker

485

54

2.7

212

27.8

2.4

111

18.1

2.2

 Retired

607

59.3

2.2

255

26.1

2

144

14.5

1.6