Satisfaction with Cohabitation without Marriage Higher than That of Married Couples

Positive Perceptions Such as Emotional Bonding and Help in Marriage Decisions
Household Chore Sharing Ratio Higher Than General Couples
Active Choice by 40s-50s Regardless of Marriage
Housing Support, Negative Views, Legal Guardianship Remain Challenges

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] It has been found that people who cohabit without getting married report higher satisfaction than married couples.

On the 15th, the Korean Women's Development Institute released the results of the "Survey on Non-Marital Cohabiting Families," conducted from October to November last year among 3,007 individuals aged 19 to 69 who are currently cohabiting or have cohabited before.

Among those cohabiting, 63.0% expressed satisfaction with their relationship with their partner, which is 6 percentage points higher than the 57.0% satisfaction rate with spouse relationships found in the family survey conducted in the same year.

The positive aspects of cohabitation (multiple responses allowed) included emotional bonding and stability (88.4%), gaining understanding of the partner’s habits and lifestyle to help decide on marriage (84.9%), reduced economic burden through shared housing costs (82.8%), and respect for each other's independent lifestyles (65.0%). Responses indicating sharing household chores such as grocery shopping, meal preparation, and cleaning were 70.0%, while those reporting equal participation in child-rearing and education were 61.4%. The division of household labor was also significantly higher than the 26.6% reported by married couples.

Regarding reasons for choosing cohabitation over marriage, respondents in their 20s mostly felt it was too early to marry (38.6%), while those in their 30s cited not having a home prepared (29.6%). For those in their 40s and 50s, the main reason was a reluctance to be bound by formal marriage institutions (33.7% and 48.4%, respectively). The tendency to actively choose non-marital cohabitation rather than seeing it as a transitional phase to marriage was particularly notable among people in their 40s and 50s.

As for inconveniences caused by cohabitation, half of the respondents (50.5%) pointed to difficulties in accessing housing support programs such as housing subscription and housing loans. Negative social perceptions of cohabiting families (50.0%) and experiences of not being recognized as legal protectors (49.2%) followed. Other practical limitations included lack of benefits from family-related private institutions, tax deductions, and not being recognized as 'guardians' due to the absence of legal marital status.

The sense of stability felt by non-marital cohabiting families was lower compared to legally married couples. The rate of experiencing conflicts or disagreements was 67.0%, higher than the 47.8% among legally married families. The percentage who considered breaking up due to conflicts was 47.8%. Compared to legally married couples, 83.4% of non-marital cohabiting families felt their emotional bonding was the same, and 70.3% felt their relationship stability was equal. However, 65% disagreed that they were recognized equally as married couples.

The Women's Development Institute explained, "While partner relationships among non-marital cohabitants show higher satisfaction than those in the family survey, the high perception of not being recognized as legally married couples, along with higher rates of conflicts, disagreements, and breakup considerations, indicate relatively lower relationship stability. This suggests the need for policies to promote social acceptance and institutional recognition of non-marital cohabiting partnerships."

Additionally, those who have experienced non-marital cohabitation showed more open attitudes toward new lifestyles such as divorce/remarriage (64.2%), cohabitation (60.0%), childlessness (56.6%), and singlehood (53.0%) compared to general families. In the family survey, agreement rates on these topics were all below 50%.

While there is less obligation or burden regarding family and relationships, significant social prejudice and institutional disadvantages remain as limitations. Policies needed to support cohabiting families include legal and institutional improvements to recognize them equally with spouses, such as the ability to sign surgical consent forms (65.4%), equal parental status for children born from cohabitation (61.6%), equal recognition of family welfare services (51.9%), equal recognition as legal spouses in cases of death and funerals (49.7%), and recognition of tax benefits such as dependent personal deductions (49.7%).

Kim Kyung-sun, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, stated, "We will strive to improve systems and prepare policy support measures through continuous discussions with related ministries and experts so that non-marital cohabiting families can live stable lives without social prejudice and discrimination."