How many young Koreans and Japanese said they were interested in marriage in the bilateral survey?

The survey found that 81.4 percent of Koreans were interested in marriage, compared with 57.6 percent of Japanese. It covered 2,000 people in each country aged 20 to 39 from June to July.

What did the survey say about the ideal number of children among Koreans and Japanese singles?

Two children was the most popular choice in both countries, but the share was much higher in Korea at 52.6 percent than in Japan at 28.9 percent. In Korea, 17 percent chose one child and 7.3 percent chose three or more.

What marriage condition did respondents value most in the Korea-Japan survey?

The most popular condition was stability in both the respondent’s and spouse’s employment and income. It was chosen by 51.8 percent of Koreans and 41.1 percent of Japanese.

81% of Koreans want to marry, compared to 58% of Japanese: survey

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Summary

More than 80 percent of young Koreans were interested in marriage, compared with 57.6 percent of young Japanese singles, a survey showed Sunday. The poll covered 2,000 Koreans and 2,000 Japanese aged 20 to 39 from June to July. The bilateral committee behind the survey said 18.6 percent of Koreans and 42.4 percent of Japanese had no interest in ever getting married. Among Koreans, the most common ideal number of children was two, and employment and income stability for both spouses was the top marriage condition.

Key Facts

The survey found that 81.4 percent of Koreans and 57.6 percent of Japanese were interested in marriage.
The poll surveyed 2,000 Koreans and 2,000 Japanese aged 20 to 39 from June to July.
The bilateral committee that commissioned the survey focuses on regional growth, low birth rates, and aging societies.
Among Koreans, 52.6 percent chose two children as the ideal number, while 17 percent chose one and 7.3 percent chose three or more.
Employment and income stability for both spouses was the most popular marriage condition, chosen by 51.8 percent of Koreans and 41.1 percent of Japanese.

By Yonhap

Published Aug 30, 2026 8:39 pm KST
Updated Aug 30, 2026 9:23 pm KST

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, chief of the Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI), gives opening remarks at a meeting of a Korea-Japan committee on tackling low birthrates in Sendai, Japan, Sunday. Courtesy of KCCI

More than 80 percent of young Koreans are interested in marriage compared with just 57.6 percent of young Japanese singles, a survey showed Sunday.

The poll was conducted on 2,000 Koreans and 2,000 Japanese aged 20 to 39 from June to July, and found that 81.4 percent of the surveyed Koreans were interested in marriage, according to a bilateral committee dealing with promoting regional growth and tackling low birth rates and aging societies.

The committee was launched on the occasion of a Korea-Japan summit last year and is co-headed by the chiefs of each country's Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

According to the survey, 18.6 percent of Koreans had no interest in ever getting married, while the percentage among Japanese was 42.4 percent.

As the ideal number of children, two was the most popular choice among Koreans at 52.6 percent, followed by one at 17 percent and three or more at 7.3 percent.

Among Japanese, two was the most popular at 28.9 percent followed by three or more at 12.2 percent and one at 9.4 percent.

As conditions for marriage, the most popular answer was one's own and his or her spouse's employment and income stability at 51.8 percent among Koreans and 41.1 percent among Japanese.

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