‖ Marriage Intentions Among Singles Rise for Second Consecutive Year… Childbearing Intentions Also Increase Across All Groups

‖ “Stable relationship” (91.1%) ranks over 10 percentage points higher than “economic conditions” (80.4%) as a prerequisite for parenthood

‖ For the 20–40 generation, the top three elements of a fulfilling life are “career, romantic relationships, and financial resources”… “marriage and children” fall below a majority

□ The Korea Population Health and Welfare Association(KoPHWA) announced on Sunday, February 1, the results of the “3rd Demographic Behavior and Awareness Survey (2025)”, conducted in September 2025 to examine changes in public perceptions regarding marriage and childbirth. The survey targeted 2,050 men and women aged 20–44 nationwide.

Overview of the 3rd Demographic Behavior & Awareness Survey

(Target Population) 2040 people residing nationwide (20-44 years old)

(Survey Period) 2025. 9. 3. ~ 9. 18.

(Survey Topic) Attitudes and values regarding marriage and childbirth among the Korean population

(Method) Computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI)

(Sample Size) 2,050 people (500 unmarried men, 521 unmarried women, 510 married men, 519 married women)

○ Since 2023, KoPHWA has conducted the annual “Demographic Behavior & Awareness Survey“. The third survey newly added sections on “Perceptions of the Conditions for Parenthood,” “Perceptions of Marriage,” and “Perceptions of a Fulfilling Life” to gain deeper insight into the root causes of Korea’s persistently low birth rate.

○ The survey was designed to allow direct comparisons among four population groups—unmarried men, unmarried women, married men, and married women—by integrating both married and unmarried respondents into a unified questionnaire.

□ Key Findings of the 3rd Demographic Behavior & Awareness Survey (2025)

【 I. Attitudes Toward Marriage and Childbirth 】

1. Attitudes Toward Marriage

○ Marriage Intentions

- The proportion of unmarried men and women expressing an intention to marry increased slightly year-on-year for both men and women, indicating a modest recovery in positive perceptions of marriage.

* Unmarried men: 60.8% (+2.3%p), Unmarried women: 47.6% (+3.0%p)

○ Reasons for Hesitation or Lack of Intention to Marry

- Unmarried men cited “financial burden of married life” (24.5%) as the primary reason, followed by “preference for single life” (22.5%) and “not meeting the right partner” (12.3%).

- Unmarried women most frequently cited “not meeting the right partner” (18.3%), followed by “preference for single life” (17.6%) and “prioritizing work over marriage” (17.6%).

2. Attitudes Toward Childbirth

○ Childbearing Intentions

- All four population groups showed slight increases in (additional) childbearing intentions, suggesting a modest rebound in positive perceptions of childbirth.

* Unmarried men: 62.0% (+3.6%p), Unmarried women: 42.6% (+1.7%p)

* Married men (additional child): 32.9% (+2.8%p),

* Married women (additional child): 24.3% (+2.3%p)

○ Expected Number of Children

* Married men: 1.69, Married women: 1.67

* Unmarried men: 1.54, Unmarried women: 0.91

○ Reasons for Hesitation or Lack of Childbearing Intentions

- Economic burden was the most cited concern among unmarried men and married respondents. In contrast, unmarried women showed higher agreement with psychological concerns such as worries about children’s future happiness(well-being).

【 II. Values Regarding Marriage and Childbirth 】

1. Perceptions of Marriage (Marriage Values)

○ Overall Findings

- Agreement with the permanence of marriage and the link between marriage and childbirth was relatively low, whereas agreement with the relational and social value of marriage was high.

* “Marriage is necessary to form a close-knit family” (86.1%)

* “Society becomes more prosperous when more people marry” (76.2%)

* “Commitment to one’s partner is more important than legal marriage” (76.1%)

- Lower levels of agreement were observed for the following statements:

* “People with children should get married” (45.1%)

* “Marriage should last a lifetime regardless of circumstances” (30.0%)

* “Marriage is an outdated institution” (24.0%)

○ Group Differences

- Unmarried respondents and women generally demonstrated lower levels of acceptance of the institution of marriage than married respondents and men.

2. Criteria for Choosing Marriage

○ Overall Findings

- A clear tendency to regard love as a prerequisite for marriage was observed.

* In response to the question, “Would you marry someone who meets the conditions you desire, even if you do not love them?”, the highest proportion answered “No (prioritizing love)” at 68.7%, followed by “Yes (prioritizing conditions)” at 16.0%, and “Unsure (reserved attitude)” at 15.3%.

○ Group Differences

- Women, particularly unmarried women, were more likely than men to view love as an essential condition for marriage.

3. Perceptions of Children (Values Toward Children)

○ Overall Findings

- Respondents held mixed views, combining both positive and negative perceptions. Financial burden and anxiety about children’s future ranked relatively high, while positive values—such as parental growth and joy—also remained strong.

* “Parents grow emotionally while raising children” (93.6%)

* “Children stabilize marital relationships” (82.5%)

* “A child’s growth is life’s greatest joy” (81.3%)

* “Raising children is financially costly” (95.5%)

* “I worry about the future children will face” (86.3%)

* “Children constrain women’s careers” (78.7%)

* “Children limit parents’ freedom” (67.8%)

○ Group Differences

- Unmarried respondents most strongly emphasized financial burden, whereas married respondents most strongly emphasized emotional growth.

* Unmarried men: financial burden of raising children (95.6%), emotional growth (94.0%), joy of children’s development (86.4%)

* Unmarried women: financial burden of raising children (98.6%), concern for children’s future (91.6%), career constraints for women (89.6%)

* Married men: emotional growth (96.9%), joy of children’s development (93.3%), marital stability (90.8%)

* Married women: emotional growth (96.3%), financial burden of raising children (94.9%), joy of children’s development (89.2%)

4. Perceived Conditions for Parenthood

○ Overall Findings

- Among all respondents, emotional readiness (80–90%) was considered the most important condition for becoming a parent, followed by childrearing environment (70–80%), employment and education (50–70%), and timing/age of childbirth (around 60%).

Rank

Emotional

Readiness

(80~90%)

Childrearing

environment

(70~80%)

Employment

and education

(50~70%):

Timing/age

of childbirth

(~60%)

1

stable

relationship

(91.1%)

work–childcare

balance

(82.2%)

professional

achievement

(72.2%)

desire to have

children before

getting older

(61.9%)

2

responsible

partner

(88.2%)

economic

conditions

(80.4%)

permanent

employment

(58.5%)

-

3

sufficient

maturity

(81.9%)

access to

childcare

facilities

(78.9%)

completion of

education

(53.9%)

-

* Other factors (<50%): experience activities that may be difficult after having children, such as travel (41.9%), pregnancy or childbirth of friends (15.3%)

○ Group Differences

- Regardless of gender or marital status, emotional readiness was the most important condition for parenthood, with agreement exceeding 80% across all groups.

- However, differences appeared in the third-ranked condition:

* Unmarried men: all top three conditions fell under emotional readiness (over 80%)

* Unmarried women: top two conditions were emotional readiness, while the third was childrearing environment (economic conditions)

* Married men: top two conditions were emotional readiness, with the third being childrearing environment (work–childcare balance)

* Married women: top two conditions were emotional readiness, with the third being childrearing environment (childcare infrastructure)

5. Perceptions of a Fulfilling Life

○ Overall Findings

- Among all respondents, the majority rated having an enjoyable career, maintaining a genuine romantic relationship, and having substantial financial resources as important for a fulfilling life.

- In contrast, having children and getting married were rated lower, with less than half of respondents considering them important.

○ Group Differences

- Unmarried men and both unmarried and married women tended to prioritize career, romantic relationships, and financial resources over marriage and childbearing as key elements of a fulfilling life.

- Married men, on the other hand, considered childbearing an important element following romance and career, indicating a relative emphasis on family continuity and traditional roles through parenthood.

□ President Dr. Lee Sam-sik stated, “The rise in marriage intentions among unmarried men and women for two consecutive years, along with increased childbearing intentions across all groups, represents a meaningful shift amid the low birth rate crisis. We confirmed that positive perceptions of marriage and childbirth are growing among younger generations.”

○ He further emphasized, “The fact that people in their 20s to 40s prioritize ‘career, romantic relationship, and financial resources’ over ‘marriage and childbirth’ as key elements of a fulfilling life demonstrates a fundamental shift in life priorities. Policy approaches must adapt to these changing values.”

○ He added, “It is particularly noteworthy that a ‘stable relationship’ ranked higher than ‘economic conditions’ as a prerequisite for parenthood. This suggests that emotional preparedness and stable partnerships, alongside economic factors, play an important role in childbirth decisions.”

○ President Lee concluded, “Since 2023, KoPHWA has conducted the Demographic Behavior & Awareness Survey annually to track changes in public perceptions and behaviors regarding marriage and childbirth. We will continue in-depth research to identify the root causes of low fertility and contribute to the development of effective population policies.”

Latest Updates

Announcement of Key Results of The 3rd Demographic Behavior & Awareness Survey (2025)