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Marriage Decline in Korea: Changing Composition of the Domestic Marriage Market and Growth in International Marriage

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  • James M. Raymo

    (Princeton University)

  • Hyunjoon Park

    (University of Pennsylvania)

Abstract

Explanations for the substantial decline in rates of marriage in East Asian countries often emphasize the role of rapid educational expansion for women in reducing the desirability of marriages characterized by a strong gender-based division of labor. Focusing on South Korea, we consider a very different scenario in which changing educational composition of the marriage market reduces the demographic feasibility of such marriages. Analyses of 1% microsamples of the 1990 and 2010 Korean censuses show that changes in the availability of potential spouses accounted for part of the decline in marriage rates over a period of 20 years (1985–1989 to 2005–2009) for highly educated women and less-educated men. We also show that growth in international marriages played a role in preventing an even more dramatic decline in marriage among low-educated men. These findings support the general relevance of marriage market mismatches in gender-inegalitarian societies and highlight the declining feasibility of marriage for low-educated men in such contexts. Findings also hint at important implications for inequality in a society such as Korea, where marriage remains a symbol of social success and is closely related to women’s economic well-being and men’s health and subjective well-being.

Suggested Citation

  • James M. Raymo & Hyunjoon Park, 2020. "Marriage Decline in Korea: Changing Composition of the Domestic Marriage Market and Growth in International Marriage," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 57(1), pages 171-194, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:demogr:v:57:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1007_s13524-019-00844-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s13524-019-00844-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Albert Esteve & Ridhi Kashyap & Joan García-Román & Yen-Hsin Alice Cheng & Setsuya Fukuda & Wanli Nie & Hyun-ok Lee, 2020. "Demographic change and increasing late singlehood in East Asia, 2010–2050," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 43(46), pages 1367-1398.
    3. Hubert Pinto, 2023. "Relationship between Gender Roles and Marital Stability among Couples in Selected Counties of Kenya," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(10), pages 1629-1647, October.
    4. Shuang Chen, 2022. "The Positive Effect of Women’s Education on Fertility in Low-Fertility China," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 38(1), pages 125-161, March.
    5. Sojung Lim, 2021. "Socioeconomic differentials in fertility in South Korea," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 44(39), pages 941-978.
    6. James Raymo & Fumiya Uchikoshi & Shohei Yoda, 2021. "Marriage intentions, desires, and pathways to later and less marriage in Japan," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 44(3), pages 67-98.
    7. Jolene Tan, 2022. "Heterogeneity among the never married in a low-fertility context," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 47(24), pages 727-776.
    8. Hubert Pinto, 2023. "Relationship between Gender Roles and Marital Stability among Couples in Selected Counties of Kenya," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(8), pages 1417-1434, August.
    9. Keunho Choi & Gunwoo Kim & Donghee Yoo & Jeonghwa Lee, 2024. "Does Economic Stability Influence Family Development? Insights from Women in Korea with the Lowest Childbirth Rates Worldwide," Economies, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-22, March.

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