TOKYO: One in four married adults under 40 in Japan found their partners through dating apps, making it the most common way couples meet, a recent government survey showed.
The study was conducted in July as part of the Japanese government’s efforts to devise ways to help younger generations marry and have children, as the rise of the unmarried has become a key reason behind the country’s declining birthrate, Kyodo News Agency reported.
The Children and Families Agency said it plans to step up cooperation with the private sector in promoting dating apps that adhere to safety guidelines and in publicising their proper usage.
In an online questionnaire of 20,000 men and women, aged 15 to 39, nationwide, 25.1 per cent of respondents who married in the last five years said dating apps gave them the opportunity to meet the person they ended up marrying.
Individuals who met their spouses through work or work-related activities accounted for 20.5 per cent, while 9.9 per cent met at school, 9.1 per cent through friends or siblings, and 5.2 per cent at parties or other social events.
The survey also showed that 56.8 per cent of married people said they have experience using dating apps, compared to 26.8 per cent of unmarried individuals.
An interim report compiled by a panel under the Children and Families Agency to discuss life planning for the younger generation noted that dating apps are especially popular among individuals in their 20s. The report highlighted that “Generation Z”, born in the late 1990s and early 2000s, values dating apps as a tool for prioritising cost and time efficiency.
While dating apps offer the convenience of connecting at any time and bridging distances for those in remote areas, many people continue to express concerns about safety, the report said.
According to government data, the number of couples who married in 2023 fell below 500,000 for the first time in 90 years to 474,717, its lowest level since World War II.
– Bernama, Kyodo
