The 52nd installment of the Awareness Survey of 18-Year-Olds, launched by The Nippon Foundation in October 2018, was carried out from December 2-5, 2022, on the subject of “Values and Life Design.” The survey of 1,000 respondents in Japan aged 17 to 19 (i.e., approaching or just having reached legal adulthood) was intended to examine young people’s values and thinking regarding marriage and partnership, and child-rearing.
While more than 40% of male and female respondents replied “Yes” to the question, “Do you want to get married in the future,” only roughly 20% of men and roughly 10% of women replied “Definitely yes” when asked, “Do you believe you actually will get married in the future.” In addition, more than 70% approved of common-law marriages, the use of separate surnames by husbands and wives, and partnership oath systems for same-sex couples.
With regard to Japan’s aging population and declining birthrate, more than 70% of both men and women view the situation with a sense of crisis, while roughly 80% replied that the government’s response is “insufficient” and showed a clear desire for economic support including tuition-free education.