"Men Have No Money, Women Have High Standards"…Different Reasons for Not Getting Married

Korea Population, Health and Welfare Association's 2nd National Population Behavior Survey
Both Men and Women Show Positive Attitudes Toward Marriage
Marriage Intentions Especially Strong Among Those in Their 30s

Wedding photo unrelated to the article content. Pixabay

Men hesitate to marry due to the burden of 'marriage costs,' while women hesitate because there is 'no one who meets their criteria,' according to a survey.

On the 14th, the Korea Population, Health and Welfare Association released the "2nd National Population Behavior Survey (2024) Report," which surveyed unmarried men and women aged 20 to 44. When asked, "Do you intend to get married in the future?" 58.5% of men and 44.6% of women responded "Yes."

Among unmarried men (aged 20 to 44) who answered that they have no intention to marry or are hesitant, the most common reason was the burden of the cost of married life (19.3%). This was followed by "I like living single" (19.3%) and "I want to focus more on my own work than marriage" (12.9%).

On the other hand, unmarried women (aged 20 to 44) who answered that they have no intention to marry or are hesitant most frequently cited "I have not met someone who meets my expectations" (19.5%) as the reason. This was followed by "I like living single" (17.0%) and "I want to focus more on my own work than marriage" (15.5%).

The researchers analyzed that this aligns with previous studies showing that young people place greater importance on individual freedom, leading to lower marriage intentions, and also corresponds with prior research indicating a strong work orientation among Korean women.

Among unmarried women with a high school education or less, the main reason for having no intention to marry or hesitating was "the burden of the cost of married life" (28.0%). However, unmarried women with a college education or higher most frequently cited "I have not met someone who meets my expectations" (19.4%) as their main reason.

The researchers stated, "Unmarried women tend to expect both economic aspects, such as their spouse’s occupation, and familial aspects, such as participation in childcare and housework." They analyzed, "In other words, it is believed that they pursue a dual breadwinner model, contributing economically through employment while cooperating with their partner in family matters such as childcare, housework, and relationships with in-laws."