Single-person households (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — The proportion of unmarried individuals in their 40s increased 6.7 times for men and 5.7 times for women in 2020 compared with 20 years earlier, a government report showed Thursday, underscoring the trend of delayed marriages that is partly blamed for South Korea’s ultra-low birth rate.
The growing trend is attributed to delayed marriages and a rise in lifelong singlehood, according to the annual social report by Statistics Korea. The report offers insights into the status of Korean society and key trends based on statistical analysis.
In 2020, 23.6 percent of men and 11.9 percent of women in their 40s were unmarried, compared with just 3.5 percent and 2.1 percent, respectively, in 2000, the report showed.
The report also found that only a small portion of unmarried individuals aged 19–34 consider marriage to be essential.
(Yonhap)
