Over 1 in 3 young Japanese not interested in tying the knot, survey finds
The poll by the Children and Families Agency found that 35.1% of those surveyed said they had "no intention" of getting married.
New preliminary survey results reveal that over one-third of young Japanese people have no intention of getting married, according to the Children and Families Agency. Over 100,000 individuals aged 15 to 39 were polled between late May and early August, with 43,529 responses collected until July 23. The survey delved into personal matters like mental health, childhood experiences, and life concerns, including marriage.
Out of the respondents, 35.1% expressed a "no intention" of marriage, while 27.4% aimed to wed within the next five years, and another 37.5% hoped to marry "eventually." Among those who had no intention of marriage, 53.1% cited a lack of desire for the reason. When prioritizing aspects over marriage, nearly 60% of respondents indicated that free time and hobbies took precedence.
Economic factors were also a deterrent, with 23.5% stating uncertainty over income to support a marriage, and 34.9% prioritizing a stable income and employment over marriage.
The primary hurdle to marriage, according to 40% of respondents, was income concerns, followed by income security and building savings. The low interest in marriage could negatively impact Japan's declining population, which has been dwindling for nearly two decades. The latest figures are lower than similar polling conducted last year, where 46.5% of single people aged 16 to 49 expressed no intention of getting married, a significant increase of over 4 percentage points from 2023.
While people in their 40s had the highest proportion of the "no intention" answer in 2025, the figure remained well above 40% for those in their 30s and below.
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
