“Men Providing for Their Families” Is a Thing of the Past… 80% of Couples Who Get Married Have a Household Income of Over 10 Million! The Reality of “High-Earning Women” Being Extremely Popular in the Marriage Market

In the past, marriage was often viewed as a situation where “men supported women,” and women with high incomes tended to be shunned by men when it came to dating and marriage. However, it seems that such conventional wisdom is now completely a thing of the past.  

IBJ (Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo), one of Japan’s largest marriage agency networks, analyzed marriage data from approximately 20,000 couples and found that “more than 80 percent” of married couples have a combined household income exceeding 10 million yen. Even more surprising is the marriage success rate when women “disclose” their own annual income.While the marriage rate for those who did not disclose their income was 22.2%, it rose to 39%—a full “1.8 times” higher—for those who did disclose it.  

Amid the rapidly changing tides of our times, how has the environment surrounding marriage shifted? Why are “high-earning women” currently so popular in the marriage market? Drawing on survey data from the *2025 IBJ Marriage White Paper*, we’ll unravel the “Three New Norms of Reiwa-Era Marriage Hunting.”

Women Who Disclose Their Annual Income See a 1.8-Fold Increase in Marriage Success Rate

One eye-catching finding from this survey is that “women who disclose their annual income have a marriage success rate 1.8 times higher than those who do not.” It seems that rather than hiding a woman’s annual income, actively disclosing it can be a major asset in today’s marriage market.

“The traditional model, in which men supported the household and women took care of the home, has declined, and the prevailing mindset now assumes dual-income households. Given Japan’s current economic situation, more people are seeking more realistic life plans.”  

says Mayu Onishi of IBJ in her analysis.

Looking at the marriage success rates of women who disclose their annual income—34.9% for those earning 3 million yen or less, 41.2% for those earning 3 to 5 million yen, and 37.7% for those earning 5 million yen or more—it does not appear that a high income is a particular barrier to marriage.

Furthermore, regarding survey results indicating that 80% of couples who married through IBJ have a household income exceeding 10 million yen, while it is true that many people registered with marriage agencies are relatively well-off, this may also suggest that a lifestyle based on dual-income households is becoming the norm as people seek a more affluent life.

Impulsive Marriages Are a Thing of the Past! Sharing Life Plans

The changes in life stages that come with marriage force couples to make choices that are incomparable to those faced while single.“Will we own a home or rent?” “Will we have children? How will we raise them?” “What kind of car will we drive?” The list goes on and on, and even married couples often find themselves at odds over these choices. To prevent such friction before it arises, sharing life plans as you prepare for marriage is crucial.

“While this ties into the earlier point about disclosing annual income, the very act of ‘disclosing’—regardless of the amount—has the benefit of making it easier for your partner to create a life plan and envision life after marriage,” says Mr. Onishi (hereinafter the same).

It is now considered important for both partners to disclose their incomes and assess whether they can realize their envisioned life plans. While marriages that were once made on a “whim” are now inevitably approached with greater caution.In the Reiwa era’s marriage market, where it is considered ideal to carefully select a life partner while sharing each other’s ideals and plans, the mindset of “as long as there’s love” or “things will work out somehow” may be a thing of the past.

“Age-gap marriages” are a myth! Partners of the same generation are the key

In the past, when women were more financially dependent on men, it was not uncommon to see couples consisting of an older man and a younger woman. However, in today’s marriage market—where dual-income households are the norm—marriage between partners of similar ages has become the standard, driven by a desire to share life plans and lead more realistic, prudent lives.

“As a general trend recently, the age gap among married couples has narrowed, and a difference of two to three years has become the norm across all age groups. Marriages with large age gaps—such as a man in his 40s seeking a woman in her 20s, as was common in the past—seem to be becoming increasingly difficult.”  

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the notion that “if you have money, you can marry someone much younger than yourself” is a fantasy in the Reiwa era.

On the other hand, there are signs of change even in the trend toward later marriages. “The recent trend shows that the median age for married couples is 35 for men and 33 for women, but in recent years, there has been a sharp increase in new members in their 20s—more than double the number compared to five years ago,” said Mr. Onishi, suggesting that attitudes toward marriage among younger people are changing.

In the past, marriages were typically formed through romantic relationships that began with encounters at work or in social settings, but over the past decade or so, the places where people meet have changed.

As meeting through dating apps has become commonplace, couples are now better able to share their ideals and visions for each other, allowing them to thoroughly consider and prepare for their future lives—including buying a home and raising children. It seems that marriage has become something that requires early preparation as part of one’s life planning.

Looking at the new norms of marriage hunting in the Reiwa era, it becomes clear that a woman’s high income is not attractive simply because of the income itself, but rather because it serves as a major asset in making it easier to visualize and realize life plans after marriage.While this is likely just one aspect of the new norms in marriage hunting, we hope that those currently seeking a partner will use this as a starting point to assess the changing times and make the choice to marry a better one for themselves.