"Only 50% Say 'Because No Money...' They Should Marry... Growing Trend of Non-Marriage"

Statistics Korea Survey: Younger Generations Show Stronger Preference for Non-Marriage
65% Open to Cohabitation Without Marriage... Traditional Views on Marriage Are Changing

[Asia Economy Reporter Bang Je-il] As the number of 'single by choice' individuals increases, especially among the younger generation, half of the population aged 13 and older expressed a negative view of marriage. Nearly 70% believed that living together without marriage is possible, and 4 out of 10 people thought that having children without marriage is acceptable, showing a clear shift in perceptions about marriage.

Six out of ten people believe that household chores should be shared equally after marriage, but in reality, only two out of ten reported sharing chores fairly. Among the reasons for not marrying, 3 out of 10 cited 'lack of marriage funds.'

According to the '2022 Social Survey' released by Statistics Korea on the 16th, the proportion of people who think marriage is necessary was 50.0%, down 1.2 percentage points from two years ago. Those who said 'marriage is optional' accounted for 43.2%, and 3.6% said 'should not marry.' Nearly half of the population, 46.8%, believe it is okay not to marry.

Among men, more than half (55.8%) answered that marriage is necessary, while only 44.3% of women said marriage is necessary. Among unmarried men, 36.9% said marriage is necessary, and among unmarried women, only 22.1% said so, widening the gap between genders.

By age group, the percentage who think marriage is necessary was 29.1% among teenagers (ages 13?19) and 71.6% among those in their 60s and older, showing that the older the age, the more likely they think marriage is necessary.

Regarding reasons for not marrying, 'lack of marriage funds' was the most common at 28.7%. 'Unstable employment status' (14.6%) followed, highlighting economic reasons as the primary factors. By gender, after lack of marriage funds, men cited unstable employment status (16.6%), while women cited 'not feeling the need for marriage' (15.0%), showing a difference in reasons.

The proportion of people who think 'men and women can live together without marriage' was 65.2%, an increase of 5.5 percentage points from two years ago. Those who believe cohabitation without marriage is possible have been increasing, from 45.9% in 2012 to 59.7% in 2020. The percentage of people who think 'having children without marriage is possible' rose 4.0 percentage points from two years ago to 34.7%, also showing an upward trend.

Regarding overall family relationships, 64.5% answered that they are 'satisfied,' an increase of 5.7 percentage points from two years ago. By relationship type, satisfaction with relationships with children increased by 2.2 percentage points to 78.6%, the highest level. Satisfaction also increased overall with spouses (72.1%), own parents (71.1%), and spouse’s parents (60.8%).

The proportion of people who think household chores should be shared equally was 64.7%, up 2.2 percentage points from two years ago. The response that the wife should take the lead decreased slightly from 34.8% to 33.3% during the same period. However, the actual proportion of people who reported sharing household chores equally was only about 20%, with 21.3% of men and 20.5% of women answering affirmatively.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.