Japan Not Marrying... 32% of Men and 24% of Women Aged 50 Remain Single

Lifetime Never-Married Rate Also Surges Sharply

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] A survey revealed that one in three 50-year-old men and one in four women living in Tokyo, the capital of Japan, have never been married. The 'lifetime unmarried rate,' referring to those who never marry throughout their lives, is also steadily increasing.

On the 29th, Kyodo News reported, based on an analysis of data released by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research under Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, that as of 2020, the '50-year-old unmarried rate (lifetime unmarried rate)' in Tokyo was 32.15% for men and 23.79% for women. The 50-year-old unmarried rate refers to the percentage of people who have never married by the age of 50.

Tokyo was identified as the region with the highest 50-year-old unmarried rate for both men and women among Japan's prefectures. For men, following Tokyo, Saitama Prefecture (30.24%) and Kanagawa Prefecture (30.07%) showed high 50-year-old unmarried rates. Saitama and Kanagawa are part of the Tokyo metropolitan area. For women, the second highest 50-year-old unmarried rate was in Kochi Prefecture (21.13%), followed by Osaka Prefecture (20.60%). Kochi Prefecture is the third least populous prefecture in Japan after Tottori and Shimane Prefectures, and it has the smallest population in the Shikoku region.

The prefecture with the lowest 50-year-old unmarried rate was Shiga Prefecture for men (23.03%) and Fukui Prefecture for women (12.12%). Nationwide in Japan, the 50-year-old unmarried rate was 28.25% for men and 17.81% for women, showing that the unmarried rate for men was more than 10% higher than that for women.

Kyodo News noted regarding this survey, "Since the survey method changed somewhat from 2020, exact comparisons are difficult, but the unmarried rate has increased compared to five years ago." Japan's lifetime unmarried rate has steadily risen over time. In 1970, the lifetime unmarried rate was only 1.7% for men and 3.3% for women, but by 2015, it had jumped to 23.37% for men and 14.06% for women. In the past, the 50-year-old unmarried rate was considered the same as the lifetime unmarried rate. However, as more people marry after age 50 recently, the 50-year-old unmarried rate is now surveyed and used.

Regarding the reasons for the rise in the unmarried rate, Kyodo News interpreted, "The diversity of values toward marriage and increased insecurity due to the expansion of non-regular employment seem to be causing the increase in unmarried individuals." It added, "Recently, the unmarried rate among women has risen rapidly, becoming a cause of the low birthrate."

In Japan, not only marriage but also dating experience is declining among men and women. According to the 'White Paper on Gender Equality' published this year by Japan's Cabinet Office, 39.8% of men in their 20s said they have never had a dating experience. Among men in their 30s, 34.1% reported no dating experience. For women, 25.1% of those in their 20s and 21.5% of those in their 30s said they have never dated.