Tokyo: The proportion of unmarried individuals in Japan who express an intention to marry has dropped below 80 percent for the first time, according to a survey conducted by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research. This decline is observed among both men and women, indicating a shift in societal attitudes towards marriage.

According to Philippines News Agency, the survey results underscore a waning desire to marry, with many individuals perceiving limited advantages to entering into matrimony. An official from the welfare ministry-affiliated think tank noted that a growing number of people believe they will not experience loneliness while living alone. Additionally, the lack of interaction with infants is also linked to the reduced interest in marriage and parenthood.

The survey, conducted in June of the previous year, targeted unmarried individuals aged 18 to 54 and married couples where the wives were younger than 55. It gathered valid responses from 6,756 unmarried individuals and 5,024 couples. In comparison to the previous survey conducted in 2021, the recent findings reveal a marked decline in marital intention.

Among the 3,459 unmarried individuals aged 18 to 34, 75.1 percent of men and 77.8 percent of women expressed an eventual intention to marry. These figures represent a drop of more than 6 percentage points from the previous survey, marking the first time the rates have fallen below 80 percent since the surveys began in 1982.

The proportion of men who stated they never intend to marry increased by 6.7 points to 24 percent, while the proportion of women rose by 6.9 points to 21.5 percent, surpassing 20 percent for the first time. The study also highlighted that about 42.8 percent of men and 36 percent of women saw no benefits to marriage, both rising by approximately 7 points.

Fewer respondents believed marriage would lead to having children, peace of mind, or enhanced financial security. Among surveyed married couples, around 20 percent of those in their first marriage for less than five years met online, a figure that has doubled compared to the previous survey and now matches the number of couples who met through workplaces, jobs, or introductions by friends or siblings.

The average ideal number of children for married couples was 2.18, showing a slight decrease from earlier surveys. Additionally, one in 4.4 couples had undergone infertility testing or treatment.