[Nyororin]

I think that it is taken out of context to some extent.

18-22 is still in school. The economy sucks big time right now, so there is a bit more dedication shown toward studying. A relationship you can`t maintain because of study and job hunting is one that will not last, and one you do try too hard to maintain could be damaging to those efforts. It is easier not to try to date at this point.

23-28 is "search for financial stability" time. Starting out in a job that was hard to secure and trying to keep it and do well. Again, a relationship is hard to maintain at this point and struggling to maintain it can be damaging. It is easier to not attempt to date at this point.

29-34 is where people are starting to settle down and *get married* rather than just date.

I would also like to see these figures reflecting what percentage of these age groups are *married*. The figures make it sound like that is the percentage of people without partners, when it is just the figures for unmarried. If the marriage rate has gone up, it would totally negate the figures.

This really just screams "the economy sucks!" to me more than anything. If you don`t have financial stability, you are more likely to be pursuing it rather than a date. And when you do have stability, you are more likely to be pursuing marriage rather than a date.

I am also kind of curious what sort of sample base this is coming from. The type of people likely to answer a non-mandatory survey are more likely to be the type of people who are serious about things in life. More focus on school, work, etc.