【Marriage Timing Survey】The "40s Wall" Faced by "One-Track Mind" Women? Marriage Rate Stagnates, 8.4 Points Below Overall Average

Lismi Inc. (https://lismi.jp/), which provides a chat fortune-telling app, (Headquarters: Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, Representative: Shiyo Nishimura) conducted a survey targeting 2,132 women aged 20-59 nationwide to clarify how women's values and personalities affect the timing of marriage. This survey revealed that there are differences in the timing of marriage depending on personality traits, and that women with a strong sense of self, categorized as "one-track mind" (Ittsu), tend to stagnate at certain ages.

Survey Summary

The outline of the survey results is as follows:

1. Among women aged 20-50s, the "people-pleaser" type accounts for 17.1%, and the "one-track mind" type accounts for 14.7%.

2. While "people-pleasers" account for 27.3% in their 20s, "one-track mind" types significantly increase to 22.1% in their 50s.

3. The marriage rate for "people-pleasers" sharply rises to 63.5% in their 30s, significantly surpassing the "overall average" and "one-track mind" types.

4. In their 40s, the marriage rate for "one-track mind" types stagnates at 52.9%, 8.4 percentage points below the "overall average."

Survey Implementation Overview

Survey Organization: In-house survey

Survey Method: Internet survey (Knowns Consumer Research)

Target Area: Nationwide in Japan

Target Audience: Women aged 20-59

Survey Period: March 23, 2025 - March 22, 2026

Valid Responses: 2,132 (of which 2,115 respondents completed the values diagnosis)

※The framework of the value model "Societas" provided by Synergy Marketing Inc. is utilized to classify respondents' values and characteristics. ※In this survey, values are rounded and weighted back to match the population composition ratio.

Key Survey Results

1. Among women aged 20-50s, the "people-pleaser" type accounts for 17.1%, and the "one-track mind" type accounts for 14.7%.

Individual values and personalities inevitably influence daily human relationships and major life choices such as marriage. Therefore, as a hint to understand trends in romance and marriage, we analyze the "people-pleaser" type, who are overly concerned about how others perceive them, and the "one-track mind" type, who have a strong sense of self. The definitions of each type are as follows:

・People-pleaser: A type who excessively worries about others' opinions of themselves, to the extent of extremely avoiding being disliked by others. Indecisive and lacking self-confidence.

・One-track mind: A type who believes it's sufficient to get along well with their important people. They have a strong sense of self.

The following graph shows the results of a values diagnosis conducted on women aged 20-50s to see if they fit the above descriptions.

The results show that 17.1% of respondents were categorized as "people-pleasers" and 14.7% as "one-track mind" types. "People-pleasers" outnumbered "one-track mind" types by 2.4 percentage points, indicating a slightly higher prevalence. Overall, there appears to be a tendency for more people to be conscious of others' evaluations rather than prioritizing their own core values.

2. While "people-pleasers" account for 27.3% in their 20s, "one-track mind" types significantly increase to 22.1% in their 50s.

We have examined the overall proportions of "people-pleasers" and "one-track mind" types among women aged 20-50s, but do these trends differ by age group? The following graph compares the proportion of each type by age group.

In their 20s, "people-pleasers" accounted for a high proportion of 27.3%, significantly exceeding "one-track mind" types at 7.2%. However, as age increases, the proportion of "people-pleasers" decreases, and the proportion of "one-track mind" types increases. In their 40s, both types were almost at the same rate ("people-pleasers" 14.5%, "one-track mind" 14.7%), and in their 50s, "one-track mind" types reached 22.1%, while "people-pleasers" were 10.9%, completely reversing the proportions seen in their 20s and 50s.

Thus, the distribution of traits differed significantly across generations. Younger generations in their 20s tend to be relatively more concerned about others' opinions, while as they age, more people tend to value their own values.

3. The marriage rate for "people-pleasers" sharply rises to 63.5% in their 30s, significantly surpassing the "overall average" and "one-track mind" types.

How do these traits relate to the actual timing of marriage? The following graph compares the trends in marriage rates for "people-pleasers," "one-track mind" types, and the "overall average" by age group.

Looking at the graph, in their 20s, the marriage rate for "people-pleasers" was 16.1%, and for "one-track mind" types it was 17.7%, all at similar levels in the 10% range, including the overall average (17.0%). However, in their 30s, the marriage rate for "people-pleasers" sharply rose to 63.5%, significantly outstripping the overall average (48.9%) and "one-track mind" types (51.1%).

This trend suggests that "people-pleasers" tend to decide to marry in their 30s, a milestone age. Their personality, which is concerned with others' opinions, may make them more susceptible to influences such as a surge in marriages among their peers and societal expectations.

4. In their 40s, the marriage rate for "one-track mind" types stagnates at 52.9%, 8.4 percentage points below the "overall average."

While "people-pleasers" significantly increased their marriage rate in their 30s, what is the situation for "one-track mind" types who have a strong sense of self? Let's focus on the data for "40s," where the difference between the two types was most pronounced, and examine it in detail.

Comparing marriage rates in their 40s, "people-pleasers" rose to 72.6%, and the overall average reached 61.3%. In contrast, the marriage rate for "one-track mind" types remained at 52.9%, 8.4 percentage points below the overall average. Looking at the marriage rate for "one-track mind" types, as shown in the line graph in the previous section, the figure barely increased from their 30s (51.1%) to their 40s (52.9%), indicating a stagnation in this age group.

Women with a strong sense of self who cherish a specific partner ("one-track mind" types) may tend to approach marriage more cautiously. Their seriousness might lead them to take ample time in choosing a partner and developing the relationship, which could be the reason for the slower pace in this age group.

Summary: Marriage Timing and Approach from a Personality Perspective

Throughout the survey, it became clear that there are slightly different trends in marriage timing depending on personality. While some individuals adapt flexibly to their surroundings and proceed with marriage, those who value their own values tend to move at their own pace.

These differences are thought to be influenced by their seriousness in valuing their own values and partners, which can lead to being overly cautious in building relationships. While cherishing one's own core values, sometimes adopting a flexible perspective by referring to third-party opinions can be a hint to naturally advance a relationship.

Unless this press release is reproduced in its entirety, if you quote the content, graphs, or data from the survey results, please include the following link as the source. https://lismi.jp/articles/marriage-timing-personality/

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