In 2024, the average age at which South Korean women married for the first time was 31.55 years, while for men, it was 33.86 years. The average age of both men and women marrying for the first time in South Korea has steadily increased in recent years. Shifting attitudes towards marriage The number of marriages in South Korea has been consistently declining. While the overall decrease in population may play a role, the most significant factor is the societal shift in the perception of marriage. According to a survey, nearly half of South Koreans consider marriage an option rather than a necessity. Some of the main reasons South Koreans choose to remain unmarried include concerns about raising children, high wedding expenses, and worries about their careers. Demographic implications As more South Koreans choose to marry later in life or not at all, this trend significantly impacts the country's demographic landscape. The declining birth rate and increasing life expectancy present challenges for the country's future, particularly regarding economic productivity and growth.

In 2024, the marriage rate of South Korean men aged 30 to 34 was **** marriages per thousand men, the highest figure among different age groups. The number of marriages in South Korea has steadily decreased, while the average age at first marriage is increasing.

In 2024, the average age at which South Korean women got remarried was **** years, while that of men was **** years. That year, about ** percent of married couples were ones in which one or both partners remarried.

In 2024, the average age of divorce for South Korean women was **** years, while for South Korean men it was **** years. The average age at divorce of both female and male South Koreans remained similar compared to the last year.

In 2024, the share of first-married couples with an older man was around **** percent. Among such couples, most of the men were one to five years older than the women.

In 2016, the highest mean age for first marriage for both men and women was in Korea, which was estimated at 33 years for men and 30 years for women. The mean age for first marriage in the Asia Pacific region was 29 years for men and 27 years for women.

In 2024, the number of marriages in South Korea reached *******. The trend of shunning marriage has been particularly noticeable in recent years, with the number of marriages drastically decreasing by over ** percent compared to ten years ago. Changing perceptions of marriage An increasing number of people in South Korea, particularly women, are choosing not to get married. According to a survey, only around ** percent of women saw marriage as a necessity, compared to almost ** percent of men. The most common reasons for not getting married were lacking financial resources and simply not seeing the need for it. Demographic challenges With more people remaining single and not having children, the birth rate in South Korea has dropped to the lowest in the world, reaching a record low of **** births per woman in 2023. The government has tried to tackle the problem of population decline and aging through various measures, but so far, with little success.

According to a survey conducted in South Korea in 2024, over ** percent of male respondents cited financial concerns as the main reason for not getting married. Among female respondents, the primary reason was not having found the right person, with **** percent of responses. Declining marriage rate In South Korea, marriages have gradually decreased, falling below ******* per year. Alongside this decrease in marriages, the country has seen a significant drop in birth rates, which stood at **** births per woman in 2024. Births per woman dropped below one in 2018 and have declined since. Changing roles of women Many 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 declined, many women still leave the workforce after marriage.

In 2024, the average wedding cost in South Korea amounted to around ***** million South Korean won. Housing prices accounted for the vast majority of wedding costs. It was followed by household goods and venue costs. Wedding trends in South Korea Couples who are contemplating saying “yes” to their wedding vows also have to take into consideration the preparations for a wedding. The overall costs for a wedding would include the honeymoon, the wedding package, and the wedding venue. A wedding package would consist of the pre-wedding studio photography, as well as the dress and makeup for the occasion. However, statistics show that the number of marriages have declined. For men, the main reason for not getting married is that they could not afford the wedding costs, while women saw no need to get married anymore. Divorces in South Korea As beautiful as weddings can be, if conflicts arise during a marriage, divorce can always be an option. In South Korea, the number of divorces decreased in recent years. The reason for that might be the equally decreasing number of marriages. The marriage duration before a divorce was frequently among married couples either up to four years after the wedding or after 30 years of being together. Even though it has become more socially acceptable not to marry or leave a marriage in South Korea, a significant percentage of the older generation still think that people their age should not divorce, even though there might be a valid reason to do so.

In South Korea, approximately 70.69 percent of the population was between 15 and 64 years old in 2023, while those above the age of 64 made up around 18.34 percent. The youngest generation made up an even smaller percentage than the elderly, but were the only group that did not increase in size over the last decade, partly due to a decrease in births since 2007. Reasons for fewer children While it is not always the case that family sizes shrink when there are less births per woman, the fertility rate in South Korea is undisputably decreasing overall and less children are born. The reasons people cite for having fewer children vary greatly by gender and marital status in South Korea: For example, more married people than singles - and of those more married women than men - say that the difficulty of maintaining a work life balance is the largest concern for them. Meanwhile, men express more economic concerns about child support, and notably more singles nowadays say they feel no need to have children.