A Japanese study has revealed that a large number of the country’s young population are still virgins, sparking a scare over low birth rates.
The study by the Japanese National Institute of Population and Social Security found that 42 per cent of single men and 44.2 per cent of single women aged between 18 to 34 have never had sex.
The results will worry the Japanese Government which has introduced child care support schemes in a bid to boost the country’s low birth rate.
Nearly 90 per cent of single people surveyed said they wanted to get married in the future, but 30 per cent of men and 26 per cent of women said they were not currently looking for a relationship.
Head researcher Futoshi Isii, told the Japan Times: “They want to tie the knot eventually. But they tend to put it off as they have gaps between their ideals and the reality.
“That’s why people marry later or stay single for life, contributing to the nation’s low birthrate.”
More than 8,700 single people and nearly 6,600 couples took part in the survey conducted in June last year.
When the study was last conducted in 2010, only 36.2 per cent of men and 38.7 percent of women said they were virgins.
