South Korea marriage trends show rise in older-woman/younger-man couples

Data released by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family reveals significant shifts in South Korean marriage and employment patterns. Last year, one in five first-time married couples consisted of an older woman and a younger man, a figure that rose to 20.2% from 14.9% in 2010. Conversely, the proportion of couples where the husband is older decreased from 69.1% to 63.0% over the same period.

First-time marriages have shown a recovery trend, increasing for three consecutive years after hitting a low in 2022. This demographic shift is attributed to the expanded economic participation of women. The employment rate for women in their 20s and 30s rose to 68.2%, a 10.2 percentage point increase since 2015, while male employment in the same age group saw a slight decline.

Additionally, male participation in childcare has reached record highs. The proportion of men receiving parental leave rose to 36.5% last year, a sharp increase from 5.6% a decade ago. Despite these advancements, career interruption remains a challenge for women; the rate of career breaks for women with children aged six or younger stands at 31.7%, significantly higher than the 6.8% reported for women without children.