KYODO NEWS - Jun 18, 2019 - 09:30 | Lifestyle, All, Japan

Almost half of singles in Japan who wish to get married are unable to find a suitable partner, with 61.4 percent of the group stating they are not doing anything to change the situation, a government survey showed Tuesday.

A lack of opportunity to meet an appropriate partner, or not having enough financial resources or ability to get along with the opposite sex are cited as major reasons in the outcome of the survey included in its annual report on Japan's declining birthrate that was approved by the Cabinet in the morning.

The Cabinet Office online survey of around 4,000 men and women aged between 20 to 40 years old, conducted last December, found that 46.8 percent of respondents say they cannot find a suitable partner despite a desire to tie the knot.

The outcome prompted the government to recognize the need to continue measures supporting marriage amid the country's rapidly aging population.

A separate government survey released earlier this month showed the number of newborns in Japan hitting a record-low 918,397 in 2018, staying below the 1 million mark for the third year in a row.

On Tuesday, the Cabinet also approved an annual report on children and young people, in which it showed that 48.5 percent of 13- to 29-year-olds disagree that men should be the breadwinner while women stay at home, while 14.6 percent agree.

The results of an online survey with 1,134 respondents, carried out last November and December, reflect a shifting mindset among Japan's youth.

The same study conducted five years earlier showed 38.7 percent in disagreement and 22.3 percent in agreement.