[Tameny Co., Ltd.] Approximately 20% of middle-aged and senior singles desire a partner, but 70% are unable to take the plunge. *Tameny Co., Ltd.*
Press release: September 5, 2024
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Approximately 20% of middle-aged and senior singles desire a partner, but 70% are unable to take the plunge.
*~Matching apps are becoming mainstream for marriage hunting for single middle and senior generations~*
* A marriage agency operated by Tameny Co., Ltd. (Head office: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, President and CEO: Kenjo Kurisawa, Stock code: TSE Growth 6181, hereinafter referred to as “Tameny”) * *
Partner agent*
* -Investigation Background- *
Nowadays, it is said that we are in the age of “100-year lifespans,” and there are many middle-aged and senior generations who want to live more fulfilling lives. In fact, the average lifespan of Japanese people is over 80 years old for both men and women, and is predicted to reach 85 years for men and 90 years for women by 2070 (National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, Japan’s Future Population Projections) (Reiwa 5 year estimate)”).
In such a long-lived society, there are many single middle-aged and senior citizens who want to spend their second lives with a partner. This time, we conducted a survey targeting middle-aged and senior singles about where they meet, their ideal partners, and changes in their attitudes toward marriage.
* -Summary of survey results-*
・19.9% of middle and seniors are single and in love, slightly down from last year’s survey
・For single middle and senior generations, “work-related” is the top choice at 31.6%, and people also use matchmaking services.
・21.5% of middle-aged and senior singles “want a partner/lover,” a slight increase from last year
・Approximately 70% of middle-aged and senior singles say they are not doing anything special when looking for a partner or lover.
・The top reason for seeking a marriage partner is “I want a partner I can trust and feel safe with,” compared to 7 years ago, people feel more anxious about “dying alone.”
・The top ideal marriage partner is someone in their 50s, and men are also considering partners in their 20s and 30s.
・The ceremonies you would like to hold are “meal party”, “small wedding ceremony”, and “photo wedding”
・The view of marriage among the single middle and senior generation is “I don’t have to worry about my health and I just want to spend time as a couple.”
* ■19.9% of middle and seniors are single and in love, a slight decrease from last year’s survey *
Q. Are you currently in a relationship? (n=2,401) *Required answer We surveyed 2,401 middle-aged and senior single men and women about whether they were currently in a relationship. As a result, 11.7% of middle-aged and senior singles said they were in a relationship, 4.0% said they were interested in someone, and 4.2% said they were somehow interested in someone. answered. Although it was 0.6 points lower than last year, 19.9% of people said they were in a relationship.
* ■Most single middle and senior generation encounters are related to work at 31.6%, and people using matchmaking services are also included *
Q. Where did you meet the person you are dating, interested in, or interested in? (n=478) *Required answer
We asked middle-aged and senior singles who answered that they were in a relationship about the person they were dating or liked, and where they met the person they were interested in.
The most common response was “work-related” at 31.6%. This was followed by “favorite store” (11.5%) and “hobby gathering” (11.3%). Furthermore, 9.0% of the people met using matchmaking services, which includes “matching apps” (7.1%), “matchmaking parties/events” (1.7%), and “marriage counseling offices” (0.2%). ).
In 2025, it will be mandatory to secure employment for people up to the age of 65, and many companies have already raised the retirement age. The number of people who used to be retired but are still working is increasing, and work-related places can be said to be an important meeting place for middle and senior generations.
* ■21.5% of single middle-aged and seniors “want to find a
partner/lover,” a slight increase from last year *
Q. What aspirations do you have regarding love and marriage? (n=2,401) *Required answer
According to the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research’s “Population Statistics Collection”, the rate of unmarried people at age 50 reached a record high of 28.3% for men and 17.8% for women in 2020. It seems that more and more people are not choosing to get married, but what do single middle and senior generations think about love and marriage?
When we asked middle-aged and senior singles about their thoughts on love and marriage, 10.7% said they wanted a lover, 7.1% said they wanted a marriage partner, and 7.1% said they wanted a common-law partner or cohabitation partner. was 3.7%. 21.5% of single middle-aged and senior citizens say they want to find a partner/lover, an increase of 0.9 percentage points compared to last year.
* ■Approximately 70% of single middle-aged and seniors are not doing anything in particular to look for a partner or lover *
Q. What actions do you take to find a marriage partner, common-law partner, cohabitation partner, or lover? (n=142) *Multiple answers So, what do the single middle and senior generation who answered that they want a marriage partner, common-law partner, cohabitation partner, or lover actually do in order to find a partner?
More than 70% of people answered that they were not doing anything in particular. This shows that while many single middle-aged seniors want to find a partner, they find it difficult to take concrete steps. Although there is a desire among middle-aged and senior citizens to find a partner, not many are actually taking action. I think there is a need for support and information to help this generation be more proactive.
On the other hand, when looking at the activities of those who took specific actions, excluding those who answered “I am not doing anything in particular,” the most common response was “Using matching apps” (43.0%), followed by “I use SNS such as Instagram, X, Facebook” (22.5%). Those who use “matching apps” and/or “SNS” (n=86) account for 60.6% of the total.
Research conducted by Tameny in 2021
14.3% of the middle and senior generation say they are “already using” these digital tools, 19.6% say they want to find a date using a matching app, and 19.6% say they want to find a date using SNS. The number of people who did was 14.8%. Based on this, compared to three years ago, digital tools such as “matching apps” and “SNS” seem to be becoming more established as a means of finding a partner even among middle and senior generations.
* ■The top reason for seeking a marriage partner is “I want a partner I can feel secure and trust,” and people feel more anxious about “dying alone” compared to seven years ago *
Q. Why do you want a marriage partner (including a common-law partner or a cohabiting partner)? (n=258) *Multiple answers
We asked those who answered that they wanted a partner to marry, a common-law partner, or a partner to live with to give their reasons. The most common answer was “I want a reliable and reliable partner” at 73.6%. More than half of the people also gave reasons such as “I want to make my life more fulfilling” (55.0%) and “I feel lonely being alone” (50.4%).
Looking at the results by gender, 18.9% of men answered “because I want to have children,” while 0% of women. On the other hand, 28.5 points more women than men (8.8%) cited “financial concerns” (37.3%) as the reason.
Additionally, compared to the results of the 2017 survey, the number of both men and women who answered “I feel lonely alone” and “I’m afraid of dying alone” has increased in this survey.
* ■The top ideal marriage partner is someone in their 50s, and men are also considering partners in their 20s and 30s *
Q. If you are looking for a marriage partner (including a common-law partner or a cohabiting partner), what is the ideal age of the partner? (n=246) *Multiple answers
In addition, when we asked people who answered that they wanted a marriage partner, common-law partner, or cohabitation partner about their ideal age for a partner, 62.6% of them were in their middle and senior years, followed by “50s.” “40s (26.8%)” and “30s” (18.3%) came third.
When broken down by gender, men are more likely than women to idealize the younger generation, with 12.9 points higher for those in their 20s and 21.7 points higher for those in their 30s. On the other hand, 79.8% of women are in their 50s, who are in the same middle-to-senior generation as themselves, 29.8 points higher than the 50.0% of men.
* ■Ceremonies you would like to hold are “meal party”, “small wedding”, and “photo wedding” *
Q. If you were to get married, what type of wedding-related ceremony would you like to hold? (n=246) *Multiple answers
Additionally, I researched what type of ceremony I would like to have if I were to get married.
The top ceremonies that middle-aged and senior singles want to hold are “dinner party” (19.9%), “small wedding” (17.9%), and “photo wedding” (12.2%). On the other hand, approximately half of the respondents said they were not thinking about/do not want to have a ceremony.
It seems that middle-aged and senior generations are more likely to want a small ceremony, inviting people close to them, such as their parents, rather than a traditional ceremony.
* ■The view of marriage among the single middle and senior generation is “I don’t have to worry about my health and I just want to spend time as a couple” *
Q. Has your attitude toward marriage changed compared to when you were in your 20s to 40s? (n=246) *Multiple answers
A survey conducted by Tameny on unmarried men and women aged 20 to 49 in March 2024.
reveals the various hopes of single men and women regarding marriage. As middle-aged and senior citizens grow older and gain more life experience, how do their attitudes toward marriage change compared to when they were younger?
The most common answer was “I’d like a partner who doesn’t have health concerns” (43.5%), followed closely by “I’d like to spend time with my husband even if we don’t have children” (43.1%). Additionally, as some people say, “I’m more attracted to someone I feel comfortable with than physical appearance,” it shows that people are more interested in a life where they can have fun with someone they get along with than physical appearance or other conditions. Ta.
* [Reasons why single middle and senior generations’ views on marriage have changed] *
・If you are financially comfortable and healthy, you can live a happy life (man in his 50s)
・When I was in my 20s, I didn’t have a serious relationship with marriage in mind, but now I want to spend a calm and relaxing time with someone I get along with (man in his 50s)
・As I get older, I start to feel more anxious about my health and feel lonely, so I feel more attracted to someone I can be with with whom I can feel at ease, rather than physical appearance. (Male in his 50s) ・I thought the two of us needed a child to act as a companion, but now I think it’s just a matter of getting along with each other. (Male, 60s)
・Appearance is important, but even more important is someone you can feel comfortable with (70s, male)
・Now I can realistically understand the worry of dying alone and the loneliness of being alone (Female in her 50s)
・I don’t want to get married even if I lose all my current freedom. We have a good relationship where we can get along well and help each other on the same level (Female, 50s)
・When I was young, I didn’t know what the purpose of marriage was, but as I approach retirement, I’ve come to think that it would be good if I could live a peaceful life. (Female in her 50s)
・When I was young, it was natural for me to live together after marriage, so I was very particular about my appearance, but I wanted to spend time peacefully and share hobbies with someone I could always be with (Female in her 50s)
・When I was younger, I thought about marriage as a prerequisite, so I thought about things like looks and other conditions, but now I’ve changed to focusing on personality so that I can be comfortable with someone and have fun every day. (Female in her 50s)
・I didn’t understand this when I was young, but now I want to alleviate some of my worries about the future (old age). I was alone, and I wanted the peace of mind of having someone to help me with my health, finances, etc. (Female in her 50s)
・Of course, personality compatibility is important, but the economic aspect is equally important because the basis of life is economic. I don’t put much emphasis on appearance unless it’s physiologically impossible (female, 60s)
In this survey, many middle-aged and senior citizens expressed a desire to “spend their future lives peacefully with people they like.” Matching apps are also being used as a means to find such a partner, and it is likely that middle-aged and senior generations will become even more diverse in their marriage and love-hunting
activities.
*Survey on “marriage hunting/love hunting for single middle and senior generations”*
Survey method: Internet survey
-Investigation 1-
Survey target: 2,401 unmarried men and women aged 50 to 79
Collection period: August 16-17, 2024
-Investigation 2-
Survey target: 246 unmarried men and women aged 50 to 79
Collection period: August 21-28, 2024
*Numbers for each item are rounded to the second decimal place, so the total for each item may not add up to 100%.
* -Tameny Co., Ltd. Company Profile- *
Trade name: Tameny Co., Ltd.
Stock code: TSE Growth 6181
Representative: Kenjo Kurisawa, Representative Director and President Business start: September 2006
Location: 3rd floor, IMAS Osaki Building, 1-20-3 Osaki, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo U R L: https://tameny.jp/
-Marriage hunting area-
・Marriage agency “Partner Agent”
・Marriage party “OTOCON”
・App-based marriage consultation agency “Partner Agent App”
・Matching app “Smart marriage date”
-Casual wedding area-
・Wedding production “Suma-kon”
・Wedding after-party production “Second party-kun”
・Wedding photo “studio LUMINOUS”
-Life & Tech Area-
・Insurance agency “Tameny x Insurance Clinic”
・Post-marriage support service “Anniversary Club”
・CONNECT-ship, a mutual introduction platform for members of matchmaking businesses
・Marriage Agency Federation “Marriage Hunting Alliance Partners” -Regional revitalization area-
・Marriage support system for local governments “parms”
・Marriage support center of local government (contracted operation) ・Marriage support events and seminars held by local governments (held on commission)
* [Contact information regarding this matter] *
Tameny Co., Ltd. Public Relations: Hirata/Yokota
TEL: 03-5759-2700 FAX: 03-5759-2701
Mail:public@tameny.jp