Life Satisfaction: Married Individuals with Children Have Higher Satisfaction Than Single or Childless Married Individuals

Unmarried Rates High in 20s but Reverse from 30s

Among employed individuals aged 30 and above, married people were found to have higher life satisfaction than unmarried people. For married individuals, those with children reported higher satisfaction than those without children.

This study was included in the latest issue of the monthly professional journal "Health and Welfare Forum" published on the 30th by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA). The report titled "Work-Life Balance and Life Satisfaction" (by Byun Sujeong) analyzed the results of KIHASA's "2022 Work-Life Balance Survey," revealing that while work-life balance satisfaction was higher among unmarried people in their 20s, the trend reversed from their 30s onward, with married people reporting higher satisfaction.

The survey targeted 17,510 employed individuals aged 19 to 59. The average satisfaction score for "work-life balance" (rated on a scale from 1 point - very dissatisfied to 7 points - very satisfied) was 4.47.

Satisfaction was higher among men (4.51) than women (4.42). By age group, those aged 19-29 scored the highest at 4.56, then decreased to 4.39 in their 30s and 4.02 in their 40s, before rising again to 4.52 in their 50s.

Regarding marital status, there was little difference between unmarried (4.44) and married (4.48) individuals across all age groups. However, when examined by age, unmarried individuals had higher satisfaction in their 20s, while married individuals showed distinctly higher satisfaction from their 30s onward.

In terms of overall life satisfaction (rated 1 to 7, with an average of 4.47), married individuals (4.53) scored higher than unmarried individuals (4.38).

Life satisfaction was greater among those with children compared to those without. Despite the burdens of child-rearing, they experienced a sense of happiness. Furthermore, satisfaction was higher for those with two children than for those with one.

However, by gender, married men’s work-life balance satisfaction was not significantly affected by the presence of children, whereas married women’s satisfaction noticeably decreased when they had children. This is interpreted as childcare responsibilities still predominantly falling on women.

The report pointed out the need for policies targeting unmarried individuals and childless married individuals, who relatively have lower life satisfaction.

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