35% of Japanese Youth... Do Not Intend to Marry

Sky News – A government survey in Japan, released on Monday, showed that 35 percent of unmarried young people in Japan say they do not intend to marry, with many citing concerns about income and changes in their lifestyle as the main reasons.

The Japanese news agency Kyodo reported that when asked about their priorities over marriage, 50.8 percent said “enjoying leisure time and hobbies,” according to the first large-scale survey of its kind conducted by the Cabinet Office’s Child and Family Agency.

The online survey was conducted from May 20 to understand the barriers and shifting attitudes among young people amid a growing trend toward remaining unmarried or marrying at an older age.

The survey included around 100,000 men and women aged 15 to 39, and the agency analyzed 68,000 valid responses received by July 23.

When asked about their willingness to marry, 35.1 percent of unmarried respondents, who accounted for more than 60 percent of the sample or approximately 44,000 people, said they “do not intend to marry.”

On the other hand, 37.5 percent indicated they “want to marry someday,” while 10.3 percent said they want to marry “within two to three years,” and 9.5 percent replied “as soon as possible.”