2017 Prudential Relationship Index (PRI) reveals continued high levels of fulfilment in personal relationships across Asia.
In order to gain a deeper understanding of personal relationships in the region, Prudential Corporation Asia has launched the Prudential Relationship Index (PRI) for 2017.
However, more than half of Asians worry about their families' financial security.
While time spent on digital devices is a major for arguments between couples, the majority of Asians believe tech advancement has improved financial planning.
The index reveals core insights including the key attributes of healthy relationships and how they could be disrupted by factors such as money and technology.
The PRI is a study which uncovers the dynamics between partners, children, friends and relatives, and explores the strengths and weaknesses of the primary relationships in our lives. Nine markets were part of the region-wide study this year, including Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The overall average PRI score for 2017 is 71/100, a one-point increase from 2016. This indicates that relationships in Asia meet a significant 71pc of people's needs and expectations. People in Cambodia are the most satisfied with their personal relationships, with a PRI score of 86/100, followed by Vietnam and the Philippines in joint second (79/100).
In Asia, people most desire a partner who is "easy to get along with", by which they mean someone who allows them to relax and is fun to be around. Given the pressures of daily life, they are likely to seek a companion who makes them laugh and enjoy doing things together.
Loyalty and honesty are also highly desired traits across all the markets surveyed. The ideal partner would be a person who respects their individuality and is honest with them.
According to the PRI, most people in Asia bear the responsibility of financially supporting their loved ones. More than half of adults surveyed (53pc) say they currently cover their parents' daily expenses. However, a significantly smaller proportion of them do not expect to receive the same financial support in return. Only a third of Asians (32pc) expect their children to support them financially in their old age.
The majority of Asians plan to rely on their own personal savings and assets in their senior years (83pc). In fact, saving for future retirement is the highest-ranked goal (50pc) in the region, followed closely by travelling with family (47pc).
However, the PRI 2017 reveals that couples who pool all their financial resources together have a better relationship (with a PRI score of 74/100) than those who keep their finances separate (PRI score of 58/100).
The PRI 2017 also explores the effects of technology on people's lives. More than three-quarters of people in the region (79pc) say technology growth has made financial planning easier and better. In Cambodia, almost all the people surveyed (90pc) agree that their financial planning has improved as a result of advancement in technology.
Despite its positive impact on quality of life, people are conscious of the effects of technology on relationships. Findings show that time spent on digital devices is the fourth-leading cause for argument between couples in Asia (29pc), most prominently affecting relationships in the Philippines (37pc) and Thailand (36pc).
Overall, the majority of people in the region are optimistic about the state of their relationships and personal finances, with expectations for improvement in their love life (56pc) and personal finances (67pc) over the next few years.
- SZ
