"How Much Is Your Balance?", "How Much Debt Do You Have?"... Difficult to Marry If You Don't Answer

Items to Disclose to Partner Before Marriage
1st: Bank Account Balance, 2nd: Debt Status
Both Men and Women Value Cash Assets and Debt Status

The top item that must be disclosed to a partner before marriage was found to be bank account balance, followed by debt status.

According to a recent "2024 Marriage Perception Survey" conducted by the matchmaking company Gayun on 500 unmarried men and women, the item "bank account balance" received the most selections in the question related to "disclosure of assets before marriage."

The survey results for the "scope of asset disclosure" were as follows: "cash assets such as bank account balance (51.4%)", "debt status (47.2%)", "all items listed (41.4%)", "owned buildings (28.2%)", "owned stocks (24.8%)", "owned land (23.8%)", and "assets expected to be gifted from family (9.8%)". (*Multiple selections allowed)

Both men and women considered cash assets and debt status the most important, and the opinion that all items should be disclosed was higher among women (45.6%) than men (37.2%). Bank account balance is interpreted as highly important because it can prove an individual's ability, effort, and economic mindset.

Regarding the question about the "timing of asset disclosure before marriage," responses were: "just before serious marriage talks begin (37.4%)", "anytime during dating (29.2%)", "immediately after serious marriage talks begin (27%)", "no need to disclose (4.4%)", and "after setting the wedding date (2%)".

A survey on 'Asset Disclosure Before Marriage' announced by the marriage information company Gayeon.
[Photo by Gayeon]

When asked about the "willingness to disclose 100% of assets to a prospective spouse," 85% answered "yes" and 15% answered "no." Those who said they would not disclose 100% responded with reasons such as "I think some secrets are necessary even if we are going to marry (49.3%)", "I feel I need a personal emergency fund (30.7%)", "I am worried that the money I saved is much less than my partner's (13.3%)", and "I am worried that the money I saved is much more than my partner's (5.3%)." When classified by gender, the top reason for men was "need for secrets," and for women, it was "need for an emergency fund."

Gayun couple manager Jeong Yun-hee stated, "One of the major differences between dating and marriage is sharing household burdens and taking economic responsibility together," emphasizing that "asset disclosure is an essential process before marriage." She added, "Trust must be built in these areas to reduce potential conflicts in the future."

This survey was conducted over five days from June 20 to 24, with a confidence level of 95% and a sampling error of ±4.38%P.