The projection comes as an increasing number of South Korean women work and extend their careers, often choosing not to get married to avoid the burden of giving birth to babies and bringing them up. (image: KobizMedia/ Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, March 22 (Korea Bizwire) – Over 1 in 10 South Korean women aged 50 is expected to remain single in 2025 in keeping with an uptrend in the number of women opting not to tie the knot, a report said Wednesday.
The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs said in the report that the ratio of singles to all South Korean women who turn 50 in 2025 is estimated to reach 10.5 percent.
The report is based on the country’s censuses held every five years, while the ratio was calculated by considering the trend of growth in the number of single women.
The ratio, which stood at a mere 0.5 percent in 1990, rose to 1.3 percent in 2000 and 2.5 percent a decade later. It further rose to 3.8 percent in 2015 and is projected to rise to 7.1 percent in 2020.
The projection comes as an increasing number of South Korean women work and extend their careers, often choosing not to get married to avoid the burden of giving birth to babies and bringing them up.
“Marriage usually increases the family responsibility for childbirth and rearing, which can further reduce the country’s marriage rate,” the report said.
A government survey of 38,600 people over 13 years old, which was taken in 2015 and released in November last year, showed 51.9 percent of the respondents saying that they have to get married during their lifetime, down from 56.8 percent polled in 2014. By gender, 56.3 percent of male respondents said that marriage is mandatory, while 47.5 percent of women said so.
the ratio of singles to all South Korean women who turn 50 in 2025 is estimated to reach 10.5 percent. (Image courtesy of FreeGreatPicture)
According to a recent government report, some 28,400 couples tied the knot in December last year, down 14.7 percent from 33,300 a year earlier. It marked the lowest figure for December since the government started to compile related data in 2000.
(Yonhap)
