News Pandemic results in significant drop in marriages

[thomas]

A study by the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research and the University of Tokyo concluded that in the two and a half years of the pandemic, some 150,000 fewer couples married than expected in the three years to the end of 2022. The drop could also lead to around 243,000 fewer babies being born if there is no recovery in the new marriage rate. This additional decline comes at a time when the number of new marriages in the country has decreased almost every year since 2010.

The number of new marriages in 2020 stood at around 526,000, about 50,000 lower than the projected figure, while the number for 2021 was expected to be about 501,000, some 63,000 fewer than the forecast, the researchers said. The declining trend is predicted to continue in 2022 although there are signs of recovery, with the number of marriages likely to total around 515,000, about 38,000 lower than the projection. The researchers also attributed increased financial stress as among the factors linked to the projected decline. The researchers warned that unless there is a significant increase in the number of births per woman, generally, the decrease in marriages will directly lead to a fall in the number of births. "The social and economic impact of the coronavirus takes time to manifest," Chiba said. "Policymakers need to recognize a crisis is steadily approaching." The number of annual marriages in Japan has been steadily falling since peaking at over 1 million in the early 1970s. The number of births has also been trending downward, with the figure slipping to a record low of about 810,000 in 2021 from its peak at around 2.09 million in 1973.

Pandemic delivers major blow to number of new marriages in Japan, study finds

The fall could lead to around 243,000 fewer babies being born if there is no recovery in the new marriage rate, researchers warned.

www.japantimes.co.jp

This trend is not restricted to Japan. Interestingly, the number of divorces dropped as well:

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/23780231211006976