Over a Third of Young Japanese Not Intending to Get Married
As free time and career stability take priority, over 35% of unmarried young Japanese report no desire to marry, with younger women citing the unequal burden of housework and childcare as a particular hurdle.
A survey conducted by Japan’s Children and Families Agency found that over a third of young people aged 15 to 39 have no intention of getting married, with 35.1% of 43,529 unmarried respondents expressing this sentiment. Even among those who desire marriage, 37.5% indicated they have no specific timeframe, stating "someday" instead, a significantly higher rate compared to those with concrete plans.
The online survey, conducted between May and August, received approximately 68,000 valid responses, with 60% of participants being women. When asked about obstacles to marriage, respondents could provide multiple answers. The top three concerns were financial issues, loss of personal time, and lack of a suitable partner. Young women in their teens to early twenties often cited unequal division of household tasks and childcare as the primary barrier.
For those in their late thirties, the main obstacle was not having a preferred spouse. In terms of priorities beyond marriage, respondents emphasized their own free time and interests, followed by physical and mental well-being, and stable employment.
Written by urgent.news from Nippon.com's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
