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 29.8 years, while men were on average 31.1 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 484,100 in 2024, representing the second consecutive year below 500,000. These developments concerning marriages have also impacted the mean age of childbearing, which has risen considerably since the 1970s.