Expansion of Housing Supply Raises Both Awareness and Expectations
Positive Perception of Marriage at 72.9%... Necessity of Childbirth at 70.9%
A recent survey found that positive perceptions of marriage and the intention to marry have increased significantly among women in their twenties. This trend appears to be largely influenced by the government's policy to expand housing supply for newlyweds, households with newborns, and families with multiple children, which is both widely recognized and highly anticipated by the public as an effective response to low birth rates.
On May 20, the Presidential Committee on Low Birth Rate and Aging Society released the results of its "Survey on Perceptions of Marriage, Childbirth, Parenting, and Government Low Birth Rate Policies." This was the third such survey, following previous rounds in March and September 2024, and it repeatedly asked the same questions regarding marriage and childbirth intentions to analyze changes in public perception over time.
In particular, the proportion of people with a positive perception of marriage has continued to rise, and women's intention to marry has also increased. As of March 2025, the rate of positive perception of marriage stood at 72.9%, up 1.4 percentage points from 71.5% in September of the previous year.
It is especially noteworthy that both positive perceptions of marriage and the intention to marry among women in their twenties have increased by a relatively large margin compared to September. Among women aged 25 to 29, the positive perception of marriage was 61%, a 3.6 percentage point increase from 57.4% over the same period. The intention to marry also rose to 64%, up 6.7 percentage points.
Additionally, the proportion of respondents who believe "having children is necessary" and the intention to have children among both unmarried and married men and women without children have been steadily increasing since last year, indicating a growing positive perception of childbirth. The percentage of respondents who answered positively to the question about the necessity of children was 70.9%, up 2.7 percentage points from 68.2% over the same period.
Joo Hyunhwan, Vice Chairperson of the Presidential Committee on Low Birth Rate and Aging Society, stated, "It is an encouraging change that, following the recent rebound in the total fertility rate and an increase in the number of marriages, positive perceptions of marriage and the necessity of having children are recovering. In particular, it is fortunate that the intention to have children continues to rise."
However, there was a strong response indicating that work-family balance policies need to be strengthened. Men most frequently cited "raising the cap on parental leave pay," while women pointed to "promoting flexible work arrangements for both mothers and fathers during the child-rearing period" as the most necessary measures. This suggests that men prioritize financial support, while women place greater importance on securing time for childcare.
Vice Chairperson Joo emphasized, "Although the recovery in perceptions is a welcome sign, considering the current reality where household economies are contracting due to economic stagnation, inflationary pressures, instability in the housing market, and a decrease in quality jobs, there is still a possibility that the momentum for reversing the low birth rate could weaken. Now is the golden time to maximize policy effectiveness, and concentrated, consistent policy responses over the coming years are more important than ever."
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