Survey: 35 percent of young Japanese do not plan to marry
Thirty-five percent of unmarried young people in Japan say they do not plan to marry, according to government survey results released on Monday.
Many cited concerns about income and lifestyle changes as common obstacles to marriage.
When asked what they prioritise over marriage, with multiple answers permitted, 50.8 percent said “enjoying leisure time and hobbies”, according to the first large-scale survey conducted by Japan’s Children and Families Agency.
The online survey, which began on 20 May, was carried out to understand the issues and shifting views among young people amid a growing tendency to remain unmarried or delay marriage.
The survey targeted around 100,000 men and women aged 15 to 39 across Japan. The agency analysed 68,000 valid responses received by 23 July.
When asked about their desire to marry, 35.1 percent of unmarried respondents — who accounted for more than 60 percent of the sample, or around 44,000 people — said they “do not intend to marry”.
Meanwhile, 37.5 percent said they “want to marry someday”, 10.3 percent said “within two to three years”, and 9.5 percent said “as soon as possible”.
When asked about obstacles to marriage, with more than one answer permitted, the most common response was “concern about not having an income that would allow a stable household life”, at 40.0 percent.
This was followed by “losing leisure time or reduced time for hobbies” at 34.4 percent, “there is no one I feel I want to marry” at 32.6 percent, and “lack of housing or funds to secure housing after marriage” at 30.3 percent.
Further analysis showed that for both men and women, the percentage of respondents citing “there is no one I want to marry” tended to increase with age.
More women than men cited “inequality in the division of household chores and childcare” as an obstacle to married life across all age groups.
As the online survey runs until 5 August, the agency said it will complete tabulation of responses within the current fiscal year ending March 2027.
The agency plans to analyse the survey results and use the findings as material for consideration in future policy development.