The number of unmarried male citizens in Seoul aged 35 to 49 has increased more than 10-fold over the past 20 years, data showed Wednesday.

According to the data released by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the number of single men of the age bracket in the capital city came to 242,590 in 2010, up from 24,239 in 1990.

The rate of unmarried men among the age group has shown an upward trajectory during the past two decades to account for 20.1 percent in 2010 from around 2 percent in 1990, the data showed.

During the same period, the number of unmarried Seoul women aged 35 to 49 jumped 6.4 times to 145,218, according to the data.

Some 52.4 percent, or the largest proportion, of the unmarried Seoul men were high school graduates, while college graduate females take up the biggest proportion of 61 percent among the singles, the data showed.

The average marital age last year stood at 32.2 and 30.0 for male and female citizens, respectively, up around 4 years each from two decades earlier, according to the data.

“Mismatch arising from the relatively higher-level education background for women can be one reason for the increase in the number of the single population,” a Seoul official said. “Delay or avoidance of marriage is a source of concern as it directly leads to a lower fertility rate.” (Yonhap News)