In Japan, a significant portion of the unmarried adult population, spanning from their 20s to 40s, have never experienced a romantic relationship. A recent survey highlighted that more than one-third in this age group have never dated, and a quarter have no plans to marry. This percentage, at 34.1%, is the highest recorded since Recruit Holdings Co. started gathering data on marriage views in 2017.
Interestingly, the survey, which included 1,200 never-married single adults, found that 25.6% are not interested in marriage. This number is nearly consistent with last year’s findings by the Japanese government, which is grappling with low birthrates and labor shortages. However, the 2022 figure shows a notable increase from 21.1% in 2021.
The survey revealed varying attitudes towards relationships across age groups. In their 20s, 19.4% of women and 23.7% of men viewed dating as a waste of time and money. This sentiment was less common among older men but significantly higher among women in their 30s, jumping to 23.6% from 14.6% in the previous survey.
For men who don’t wish to marry, 42.5% cited the financial burden of married life as the primary reason. In contrast, 40.5% of women valued their freedom and independence too much to consider marriage.
Although 46.1% of respondents expressed a desire to marry eventually, this number has been steadily declining, from 55.4% in 2017 and 52.6% in 2021. Among younger respondents, 44.3% of women and 34.6% of men stated they would only date with the intention of finding a marriage partner.
