"They Earn 10 Million Won a Month Together... Marriage Surges Among These Professionals"

Employment and Income Stability
Sharp Increase in Marriages Among Office Workers

Last year, the number of marriages increased for the third consecutive year, with office workers and professionals at the center of this trend. As economic uncertainty grows, marriage is increasingly concentrated among those with stable employment and higher incomes. At the same time, as the financial burden of expensive wedding customs intensifies, simplified marriage formats such as 'no wedding' ceremonies are spreading, leading to significant changes in the form of marriage itself.

Image to aid understanding of the article. Pixabay

According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics on March 24, 2026, there were about 240,000 marriages last year, an increase of 18,000 cases (8.1%) compared to the previous year. The upward trend in marriages has continued for three consecutive years, with office workers and professionals leading the rise.

Office Workers and Professionals Drive Increase in Marriages

By occupation, marriages where the wife is an office worker totaled 75,361 cases, a 19.2% increase from the previous year—the largest growth among all occupational groups. Marriages where the husband is an office worker also rose by 18.5%, reaching 70,980 cases.

Marriages involving office workers continued their sharp climb for a second year in 2024, with growth rates above 20%. While marriages among service and sales workers also increased, overall, office workers and professionals led the trend.

This trend is also evident in terms of proportion. Office workers and professionals accounted for about half of all marriages: 50.2% based on wives and 46.5% based on husbands. According to the Korean Standard Classification of Occupations, office workers include positions in corporate planning, HR, finance, and legal affairs, while professionals encompass doctors, professors, researchers, and technical occupations.

Marriage Now Centered on Income and Job Stability

This trend reflects the environment of increasing economic uncertainty. According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, as of 2024, the average monthly wage for professionals was 4,996,000 won, and for office workers, 4,825,000 won—both exceeding the overall average.

Image to aid understanding of the article. Pixabay

Ultimately, this means that the tendency for marriage to be concentrated among those with stable income and employment is growing stronger. In addition, an increase in the population in their early 30s and changing perceptions of marriage have also been cited as factors supporting the rise in marriages.

From 'Small Weddings' to the Spread of 'No Weddings'

The way people marry is also changing rapidly. There is a growing trend of choosing simple and practical wedding formats, moving away from traditional ceremonies with hundreds of guests and formalized procedures.

Going beyond the 'small wedding' trend that spread during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new format known as 'no wedding'—where the wedding ceremony is omitted altogether—has emerged. In this approach, couples simply file a marriage registration to begin their married life.

The most practical reason is the financial burden. According to the Korea Consumer Agency, as of January this year, the average contract amount for wedding services was 20.88 million won. In the Gangnam area of Seoul, this figure soared to as much as 34.14 million won. The average venue rental nationwide was 4.07 million won, and in Gangnam, it reached up to 6.94 million won, making the structure of spending several million won for a short event a significant burden.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.