Men marry, women stay single when financially stable

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Marriage rate lower in cities than in provinces

Young men who are financially better off than their peers are more likely to get married, while the opposite tends to be true for women, data showed Tuesday.

According to data from Statistics Korea, financially stable men aged 25 to 39 are more likely to marry when they reach the ideal age for marriage. In contrast, financially stable women in the same age group tend to prefer remaining single.

Among men aged 25 to 39 in 2022, 91.1 percent of those who were married had jobs, while 73.5 percent of the single men were employed, according to the stats agency.

Those who were married also reported higher annual incomes compared to their single counterparts — 50.99 million won ($37,900) versus 34.29 million won.

Among women, 61.1 percent of those who were married had jobs, while 71.8 percent of single women were employed, according to data from 2022.

Married women earned 28.11 million won a year, while unmarried women earned 30.13 million won.

“It appears women who are financially stable avoid marriage due to unfavorable social and economic circumstances despite women’s empowerment in recent years," the stats agency assessed.

It referred to the challenges of childbirth, child care, and career interruptions that women often face when they get married.

Meanwhile, the data showed only three of 10 Koreans aged between 25 and 39, regardless of gender, were married in 2022.

The marriage rate stood at 33.7 percent, marking a 2.4 percentage point decrease from 2021.

The marriage rate was relatively lower in major cities than provinces.

Seoul had a marriage rate of 25 percent, while Busan's rate was 30.9 percent and Gwangju's rate was 32.7 percent.

The marriage rate in South Chungcheong Province, on the other hand, was 39.9 percent.

Married individuals had a higher likelihood of owning a home compared to their single counterparts. About 31.7 percent of those who were married were homeowners, while only 10.2 percent of single individuals owned homes.