Experts attributed the growing trend to less social pressure to marry and financial worries among workers as more people hold nonpermanent jobs.
The findings are particularly troubling to Japan as it means the country’s birthrate is unlikely to rebound anytime soon and more people will resort to nursing and health care services when they get older as they have no spouse or child they can turn to for such care.
The new report showed the proportion of those who had never married by age 50 hit a record 23.37 percent for men and a record 14.06 percent for women.
The figures drew a sharp contrast with a 1970 survey that showed 1.70 percent of men and 3.33 percent of women had never married by age 50.
The data, which excludes those who were divorced or separated by the death of a spouse by age 50, are released every five years based on a national census.
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