TOKYO - About one in three unmarried young people in Japan say they have no intention of marrying, according to the first large-scale survey of young people conducted by the Children and Families Agency, with financial insecurity emerging as the biggest perceived obstacle to marriage.
The agency conducted an online survey of about 100,000 people aged 15 to 39 between May and August and released results compiled as of July.
Among unmarried respondents, 35.1% said they had no intention of marrying, while 37.5% said they would like to marry eventually.
Asked about obstacles to marriage, 40% cited concerns about earning enough income to maintain a stable married life, the most common response.
A further 34.4% said marriage would reduce their free time or time available for hobbies, while 32.6% said they had not met anyone they wanted to marry.
When asked about concerns they commonly experience in everyday life, the most frequent response was dissatisfaction with their own appearance.
Relationship-related difficulties also ranked highly, including finding it difficult to trust other people and struggling to interact successfully with others.
The survey also examined attitudes toward possible age restrictions on social media use, an issue currently under discussion by the government.
More than half of respondents across all age groups and genders said social media use should be restricted for children below a certain age.
The Children and Families Agency plans to compile a final report by the end of the current fiscal year, saying it wants to better understand the circumstances and support needs of young people and use the findings in policies including measures to address Japan's declining birthrate.
Source: TBS
