Delayed marriage and non-marriage have become increasingly important issues in Japan, where marriage remains closely related to household formation and well-being. This study examines which sociodemographic characteristics are associated with being married and how marital status correlates with economic conditions, health behaviors, subjective well-being, and COVID-19-related measures. Using annual panel data from 2014 to 2022, we first conducted descriptive comparisons between married and non-married individuals and then estimated a Bayesian panel logit model with respondent-specific effects to account for unobserved heterogeneity. The analysis was designed to identify associations rather than causal effects. The results showed the strongest positive associations with being married for individuals aged 30–49 years, consistent with delayed marriage. Employment attributes such as holding side work and managerial positions were positively associated with marriage, whereas nonprofit employment and self-employment were negatively or imprecisely associated. Financial assets and total debt were positively correlated with marriage, consistent with joint household formation. Higher happiness and life hope were positively associated with being married; regular exercise and longer weekend sleep were negatively associated, whereas longer weekday sleep was positively associated. In addition, respondent-specific effects revealed substantial heterogeneity beyond observed covariates. These findings identify key socioeconomic and behavioral domains associated with marriage in Japan, highlight the importance of unobserved heterogeneity, and provide evidence that may help identify groups prone to delayed marriage under changing social and economic conditions.
Nakakita et al. (Thu,) studied this question.