Men and women in Japan are getting married increasingly later than previous generations. In 2024, the average age of women who married for the first time was about **** years, while men were on average **** years old when they first got married. Social integration of women The rising age at first marriage was partly explained by a common theory that holds the growing number of “parasite singles” accountable for the trend. The term refers to young working people aged between 28 and 40 years who decide to keep living comfortably in their parents' homes to save money. An alternative explanation is the more active participation of Japanese women in society. Increasingly more women in Japan obtain higher education degrees and focus on their career paths. With a rising income, they are financially less dependent, and marriage is no longer essential to afford the life they pursue. Delayed family planning The overall number of newly registered marriages has also declined in the past decade. The reported number of marriages was around ******* in 2024, representing the second consecutive year below *******. These developments concerning marriages have also impacted the mean age of childbearing, which has risen considerably since the *****.

In 2024, there were around *** live births per 1,000 inhabitants in Japan, down from about *** in the previous year. The total number of live births in the nation amounted to approximately ******* in 2024. Japan’s super aging society Directly after the end of WWII, the live birth rate in Japan was over ** per 1,000 of population. The rate has constantly dropped in the last decades after the second baby boom (between 1971 and 1974). Meanwhile, the life expectancy of the Japanese people has increased, reaching about **** years for women and **** years for men in 2022. Due to the combination of both factors, Japan has developed into one of the most rapidly aging societies in the world. Almost ** percent of Japan’s population is currently aged 65 years and older, falling into the “super-aged nation” defined by international institutions and organizations.  Decreasing number of marriages In Japan, the number of births outside of marriage is small. The Japanese government, therefore, considers the decreasing number of marriages as the driving factor behind the country’s fertility decline. As of 2024, the number of marriages per 1,000 Japanese citizens was ****, less than half compared to that in the early 1970s. The average age of first marriage has also risen for both men and women. This trend can be partially attributed to the increasing number of employed and therefore financially and socially independent women in the past two decades. The employment rate of women in Japan exceeded ** percent for the first time in history in ****.

In 2023, there were around six live births per 1,000 inhabitants in Japan, down from about 6.3 in the previous year. The total number of live births in the nation amounted to approximately 727,290 in 2023. Japan’s super aging society Directly after the end of WWII, the live birth rate in Japan was over 30 per 1,000 of population. The rate has constantly dropped in the last decades after the second baby boom (between 1971 and 1974). Meanwhile, the life expectancy of the Japanese people has increased, reaching about 87.1 years for women and 81.7 years for men in 2022. Due to the combination of both factors, Japan has developed into one of the most rapidly aging societies in the world. Almost 30 percent of Japan’s population is currently aged 65 years and older, falling into the “super-aged nation” defined by international institutions and organizations.  Decreasing number of marriages In Japan, the number of births outside of marriage is small. The Japanese government, therefore, considers the decreasing number of marriages as the driving factor behind the country’s fertility decline. As of 2023, the number of marriages per 1,000 Japanese citizens was 3.9, less than half compared to that in the early 1970s. The average age of first marriage has also risen for both men and women. This trend can be partially attributed to the increasing number of employed and therefore financially and socially independent women in the past two decades. The employment rate of women in Japan exceeded 50 percent for the first time in history in 2018.

Numbers are shown as n (%).

Japan Contraceptive Devices Market size was valued at USD 1.25 Billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 1.78 Billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 4.5% from 2026 to 2032.

Key Market Drivers

Increasing Late Marriage Trends and Career-Focused Lifestyle: The rising trend of late marriages in Japan, with the average age of first marriage reaching 31.0 years for men and 29.4 years for women in 2020—a nearly three-year increase since the 1990s, according to the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare—reflects a career-focused lifestyle among working professionals, particularly in urban areas. This shift increases demand for dependable contraceptive devices as people prioritize their professions and personal ambitions over raising kids, needing effective family planning methods to avoid unwanted pregnancies during their peak working years.

Rising Awareness of Sexual Health Among Youth: Rising sexual health awareness among Japan’s youth has resulted in increased adoption of modern contraceptive methods, with the percentage of sexually active young adults (aged 18-34) using such methods increasing from 54.3% in 2010 to 62.1% in 2021, according to the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research.

This survey, based on the General Social Survey in the United States, was designed to solicit political, sociological, and economic information from people living in Japan. Questions on crime and the judicial system queried respondents about the death penalty and the appropriateness of punishments given to juvenile and adult offenders, whether respondents had ever been punched or beaten, whether respondents had been victims of robberies within the last year, and whether there was an area, within one kilometer of their homes, where respondents were afraid to venture. Questions on family issues covered topics such as when divorce was the best course of action for those involved, the frequency that families dined together and performed household chores, the health of respondents' marriages, the roles of spouses within marriage, whether one or both spouses should change their surnames, the ideal number of children a couple should have, whether there was a sex preference for children, whether the respondents had pets and the benefits of pet ownership, where respondents would like to be buried, and whether in some cases, physical punishment of children by parents or teachers was acceptable. Questions on finances included items on the state of respondents' finances during the last few years, how their family's income compared to other Japanese families, how their family's income compared to that of Japanese families 15 years ago, whether the income tax rate was high, the amount of pension respondents would receive upon retirement, how respondents' families organized their finances, and the ease of improving one's standard of living in Japan. Political questions addressed whether the government should be responsible for the livelihood and medical care of the elderly, whether the government was usurping individual responsibilities, whether respondents would vote for a woman gubernatorial candidate, government spending, respondents' commitment and sense of belonging to the political process, and whether one of the government's duties was to reduce family income disparities. Also, respondents were asked to rate their political views on a scale from Conservative (1) to Progressive (5). In terms of health, information was solicited on the health of respondents and their spouses, whether a doctor should be able to painlessly end a patient's life if the patient's condition was terminal, whether respondents had signed organ donation cards, and the frequency of smoking, alcohol consumption, and sexual relations in the last 12 months. Quality of life questions addressed the frequency with which respondents read the newspaper, the average number of books respondents read per month, the average number of hours respondents watched television, whether respondents attended any job- or hobby-related classes, the amount of satisfaction respondents received from life, the frequency respondents went on trips lasting at least two days, and how often respondents participated in leisure activities like fishing, jogging, mahjong, etc. Respondents were asked to give their opinions concerning a married person having sexual relations with someone other than their spouse, sexual relations between two adults of the same sex, whether pornography leads to the breaking down of morals, whether the client, the teen, both, or neither party was responsible for teen prostitution, and whether pornography should be banned completely, not available to anyone under 18, or not be regulated at all. Information gathered on religion included whether respondents believed in life after death and whether they and/or their spouses followed a religion and the extent of their participation. Respondents were polled for information regarding their social status, whether it was desirable for three generations of family to share a home, whether men should learn to cook and care for themselves, the trustworthiness of most people, the general motivations of others, whether respondents were members of any groups like religious, trade, or social service organizations, and to what degree respondents utilized technology like computers, e-mail, and the Internet to perform daily life tasks. Demographic information includes age, sex, employment status, marital status, household income, and religious orientation.

地図(マップ)上に平均婚姻年齢（初婚の夫）の統計データを都道府県別で色分け表示しています。過去から現在までの平均婚姻年齢（初婚の夫）の推移も階級区分図(コロプレスマップ)で変化が見えるよう高速読込で可視化し、どの都道府県が高いかが視覚で理解できます。GeoJsonの無料ダウンロードも可能です。研究や分析レポートにお役立て下さい。

群馬県の平均婚姻年齢（初婚の妻）の統計データです。最新の2022年の数値「29.3歳」を含む1975～2022年までの推移グラフや人口が近い岐阜県(岐阜県)と栃木県(栃木県)との比較表などの情報を無料で公開しています。csv形式でのダウンロードも可能でEXCELでも開けますので、研究や分析レポートにお役立て下さい。

With an average of *** births per woman, Afghanistan had the highest fertility rate throughout the Asia-Pacific region in 2025. Pakistan and Papua New Guinea followed with the second- and third-highest fertility rates, respectively. In contrast, South Korea and Macao had the lowest fertility rates across the region. Contraception usage Fertility rates among women in the Asia-Pacific region have fallen throughout recent years. A likely reason is an increase in contraception use. However, contraception usage varies greatly throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Although contraception prevalence is set to increase across South Asia by 2030, women in both East Asia and Southeast Asia had higher contraception usage compared to South Asia in 2019. Women in APAC With the rise of feminism and the advancement of human rights, attitudes towards the role of women have changed in the Asia-Pacific region. Achieving gender equality has become a vital necessity for both men and women throughout the region. Alongside changes in traditional gender roles, women in certain Asia-Pacific countries, such as New Zealand, have become more inclined to marry later in life. Furthermore, the focus for younger women appears to be on having stability in their lives and securing an enjoyable job. This was displayed when female high school students in Japan were questioned about their future life aspirations.