The Economist, 20 Aug 2011
Asians are marrying later, and less, than in the past. This has profound implications for women, traditional family life and Asian politics.
The Asian avoidance of marriage is new, and striking. Only 30 years ago, just 2% of women were single in most Asian countries. The share of unmarried women in their 30s in Japan, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong has risen 20 points or more (see chart below), “a very sharp change in a relatively short period”, says Gavin Jones of the National University of Singapore.
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