Slightly over half (56.6 percent) of those questioned said they would prefer to get married, while 40.1 percent said they do not care whether they marry or not.

Of those surveyed, only 3.2 percent said they prefer not to get married.

By gender, 67.8 percent of males said they want to have a wife, while the number for females wishing to tie the knot stood at 45.1 percent.

The latest findings show that 38.8 percent of those aged between 15 and 19 and 49.9 percent of those in their 20s said they would prefer to get married.

The comparable figures were 60.3 percent for those in their 50s and 78.1 percent for those in their 60s.

On childbirth, 78.3 percent agreed to the idea that having children should come after marriage, while 19.2 percent said they prefer not having children at all.

About 46.8 percent of those who wanted children said psychological satisfaction is why they want to raise children.

About 44.2 percent cited happiness and family harmony as the reason to have children.

Only 3.7 percent said they want to have children to preserve their family lineage.

As for reasons not to have children, 26.4 percent said they were not confident that they will become good parents.

Other reasons for not having children were to maintain economic freedom (20.7 percent), live independent lives free of child-rearing (17.0 percent) and enjoy life as a couple (13.4 percent). (Yonhap)