Good Lifestyle

Young people are increasingly giving most attention to their careers, accepting "happy single", freedom and comfort. Behind this trend there are many causes, posing urgent social problems such as reducing the birth rate and population aging.

Parents support their children to develop their careers rather than marriage

In Vietnam, the first average marriage age is on the rise, from 24.1 years old in 1999 to 27.2 years old in 2023. This reflects the situation that young people tend to focus more on their career stability before the peace. Explaining this, there are many causes. In particular, parents' support for the development of their children's career, helping children with less pressure to get married early as before, is also an important cause.

In the world, according to a survey by Pew Research, nearly 90% of parents think that financial stability and career satisfaction is more important for their children than getting married. Meanwhile, only about 20% of American parents judge marriage are of "very high" importance.

The historian - the family researcher Stephanie Coontz said: "Parents expect that both sons and daughters must work, whether they get married or not, and have a divorce." The support from the family accidentally "free" young people from the burden of "maintenance of the race", allowing them to be more comfortable pursuing personal ideals.

Marriage is no longer the ultimate goal of maturity

If the previous generation viewed marriage as the foundation, a "mandatory turning point" of adulthood, then young people now consider it a "reward" after achieving certain achievements. Sociologist Andrew Cherlin calls this trend "Capstone Marriage" - "the top marriage". Instead of being a foundation to build life, marriage now becomes the last brick for fullness, when the career, finance and personal experience are steady.

In addition, when focusing on working high, young people cannot expand social relationships, from which it is difficult to find potential objects to date or to marriage. Typically, the notorious "996" working culture in China makes young people almost no time for entertainment activities or emotional exchanges. In Vietnam, many young people also fall into the "trap" of work when they do not have time to learn and love. Therefore, there is an opinion that it is necessary to ensure that young people can have time to interact, make friends and look for partners instead of reeling in the work of turning on work, especially when the first average marriage age in Vietnam is increasing.

Similarly, the first age of marriage has changed in many countries. In the US, the first age of marriage has increased from 22 years old in the 1950s to 28–30 years old. In China, the place that once considered getting married, giving birth of a certain age is a standard, the average marriage age has been nearly 4 years later in the past 10 years, currently at 28–30 years old. A study in Singapore also showed that teenagers from 17 to 24 years of career and financial security prioritize goals such as getting married or buying a home.

The higher the young people study, the late getting married

A study from Education Economics Point out, every year at university level, the ability to get married in the age of 25–34 decreased by about 4%. Since 2023, only 38% of young people in this age group get married, compared to more than 80% in the previous generation. The more you pursue high education, the more you are financially independent, the more options, the more freedom, the more confident in yourself and the more cautious when you think about marriage.

In particular, high education women are increasingly supporting "singleism" - singleism. For them, living alone is no longer a "temporary state" or "shortcoming", but a legitimate choice to maintain freedom and focus on career.

In Vietnam, according to a survey, young people who have higher education often get married later and have a smaller number of children born.

The financial burden of marriage and family

One of the important reasons for young people to get married is probably a huge financial burden. In the US, an average wedding costs about $ 36,000, while this figure in Japan is $ 36,400 in 2009, and in China is about $ 25,000. In Vietnam, the cost of a simple wedding is about 100 million VND - a small number for many young people. In more luxurious weddings, the cost can be up to a billion dong. These figures can reflect the "face culture", especially in Asian countries, when many families still expect couples to be able to organize lavish ceremonies to not "lose face" with family and friends.

In addition to the cost of wedding, the cost of housing and especially the cost of raising children too high, young people think that marriage is not a wise choice. Instead, focusing on a new career is a strategic decision to ensure a more stable future. When they are financially eligible, they really seriously think about marriage.