Are Women in Rural Areas and Men in Urban Areas More Advantageous in Marriage Hunting? Analysis of Regional Differences in the Marriage Market Reflected by Population Structure

The IBJ Marriage Future Research Institute, operated by IBJ Co., Ltd. (President and CEO: Kengo Tsuchiya, headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; TSE Prime: 6071), which creates more marriages than any other organization in Japan,*¹ has released a survey report analyzing marriage data from 19,112 individuals who successfully married, revealing regional trends across Japan’s 47 prefectures.

The analysis revealed distinct regional characteristics in terms of "prefectures where men or women are more likely to marry" and "age differences among married couples."

Population structure impacts the marriage market: Gender-based differences in marriage-friendly regions

When comparing marriage success rates by gender across regions, significant differences emerged in which gender finds it easier to marry. In Tokyo, men had a marriage success rate of 41.1%, surpassing women (27.6%) by 13.5 percentage points. In contrast, in regional areas such as Hokkaido-Tohoku, Northern Kanto-Koshinetsu, and Tokai-Hokuriku, women's marriage success rates exceeded those of men.

This trend is likely influenced by the "population imbalance" caused by young people—especially women—moving from rural areas to major urban centers for education or employment. As a result, a competitive environment emerges where "women have an advantage in rural areas, while men have an advantage in urban areas." This demonstrates how local factors such as regional population structures and gender ratios directly affect marriage accessibility.

In Tokyo, over 70% of married couples have an older male partner

When comparing age differences in married couples by prefecture, metropolitan areas such as Tokyo (76.3%) and Osaka (74.1%) ranked highest in male-older couples. Meanwhile, non-metropolitan regions such as Miyagi Prefecture (26.1%), Tochigi Prefecture (22.9%), and Shiga Prefecture (21.6%) ranked highest in female-older couples.

Notably, Miyagi Prefecture recorded the highest proportion of female-older couples in Japan at 26.1%, surpassing second-place Tochigi by over 3 percentage points. Centered on Sendai, the largest city in Tohoku, the region attracts young people and fosters diverse values. Combined with population inflow from neighboring prefectures, this has led to a relatively widespread acceptance of age-agnostic marriage styles. This suggests that regional differences also reflect varying values in partner selection.

Declining proportion of "older male" couples: Diversifying criteria for partners, especially in the capital region

While couples with older male partners remain the majority nationwide, their proportion has decreased from 83% in 2017 to 72% in 2025—a drop of 11 percentage points. In suburban areas of the capital region, this shift is progressing faster than the national average, indicating that criteria for selecting a marriage partner are shifting from "age" to "shared values and compatibility."

Traditional marriage models emphasizing an older male partner are evolving, and data shows increasing diversity in the values people seek in a partner.

Top prefecture for men: Tokyo; for women: Mie—distinct "easiest-to-marry" prefectures by gender

When comparing marriage success rates by gender and prefecture, urban areas ranked highest for men: Tokyo (41.1%), Kyoto (39.2%), and Kanagawa (38.6%). For women, however, regional prefectures ranked highest: Mie (40.2%), Gunma (37.2%), and Miyagi (35.8%), showing a significant divergence in favorable regions by gender.

While there is a common perception that "the more opportunities to meet people, the easier it is to marry," this result shows that marriage success is not solely determined by population size. Differences in regional population structures, gender ratios, and population movement due to education and employment shape the marriage market environment, directly influencing gender-specific marriage success rates.

This analysis revealed not only that the "favorable gender for marriage" varies by region but also that regional characteristics influence age differences in couples. The marriage market is not uniform across Japan; it is a "regionally differentiated market" where each area has unique traits.

For municipalities advancing measures against declining birthrates and promoting marriage support, it is increasingly important to move beyond one-size-fits-all policies like "increasing opportunities to meet" and instead implement support tailored to regional population structures and marriage market characteristics.

Comment from IBJ Marriage Future Research Institute

This analysis by prefecture has revealed that the marriage market exhibits distinct regional characteristics. The fact that favorable regions for marriage differ by gender and that age-gap trends also show regional variation indicates that differences in population structure and lifestyle influence marriage activities.

As declining birthrates and rising singlehood continue, regionally tailored initiatives are becoming increasingly important in marriage support. The IBJ Marriage Future Research Institute will continue to analyze marriage data and disseminate insights on the realities of marriage hunting and societal changes surrounding marriage.

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Overview and assumptions of this report's data ● Data basis: All data in this report is based on activity records from "marriage counseling services." ● Research entity: IBJ Co., Ltd. (IBJ Marriage Future Research Institute) ● Research subjects: Members of the IBJ Marriage Counseling Network (those who married and left, and those who left without marrying) ● Marriage success rate: Calculated as (number of marriages) ÷ (number of marriages + number of withdrawals). Regional and prefectural data are based on members’ residential locations. ● Regional/hidden-gem prefectures: 19,112 married individuals (total male and female) aggregated by residence. ● Age-gap couple types: 9,394 married couples in 2025 aggregated by the male partner’s residence. Composition ratio of each type (male-older/female-older).