According to a survey conducted in South Korea in 2023, about 59 percent of male respondents stated that the main reason for not getting married was that they could not financially afford it. Among female respondents, the leading reason was not feeling the need to do it, with 43 percent giving that response.
Declining marriage rate
In South Korea, the number of registered marriagesĀ has been gradually decreasing, having fallen below 200,000 weddings per year. Alongside this decrease in weddings, the country has seen a significant drop in birth rates, having recorded the lowest on record in 2023. Births per woman dropped below one in 2018 and has continued to decline since.
Changing roles of women
An increasing number of South Korean women are becoming career-driven, prioritizing work over starting a family early. This trend has become evident in South Korea's employment rates. The number of employed women has gradually risen over the years but has remained lower than that of men. Despite this progress, gender inequality in employment and the pay gap continue to be significant issues. Although this number has been declining, many women still leave the workforce after marriage.
Reasons why people did not get married in South Korea as of May 2023, by gender
Characteristic
Men
Women
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Exclusive Premium Statistic
To access all Premium Statistics, you need a paid Statista Account
Profit from the additional features of your individual account
Currently, you are using a shared account. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set
statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account.
If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again.
Learn more about how Statista can support your business.
Hankook Research. (June 13, 2023). Reasons why people did not get married in South Korea as of May 2023, by gender [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved August 24, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1248707/south-korea-reasons-for-not-getting-married-by-gender/
Hankook Research. "Reasons why people did not get married in South Korea as of May 2023, by gender." Chart. June 13, 2023. Statista. Accessed August 24, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1248707/south-korea-reasons-for-not-getting-married-by-gender/
Hankook Research. (2023). Reasons why people did not get married in South Korea as of May 2023, by gender. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: August 24, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1248707/south-korea-reasons-for-not-getting-married-by-gender/
Hankook Research. "Reasons Why People Did Not Get Married in South Korea as of May 2023, by Gender." Statista, Statista Inc., 13 Jun 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1248707/south-korea-reasons-for-not-getting-married-by-gender/
Hankook Research, Reasons why people did not get married in South Korea as of May 2023, by gender Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1248707/south-korea-reasons-for-not-getting-married-by-gender/ (last visited August 24, 2024)
Reasons why people did not get married in South Korea as of May 2023, by gender [Graph], Hankook Research, June 13, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1248707/south-korea-reasons-for-not-getting-married-by-gender/