The tendency that career women remain single has become more and more popular in China. Does it mean free or helpless? And do they really want to remain single?

A recent survey conducted by Sina.com and other media shows that 57.39 percent of some 4,000 career women at marriageable age want to get married before 30 and only 5 percent prefer being single. Why do they long for marriage but remain single?

About two-thirds of women said that being single is the result of failure to find beloved ones. However, other reasons such as enjoyment of being single and free account for 12 percent while having doubt about loyal love and marriage accounted for 13 percent. Only 5.03 percent of women who remained single is because of heavy pressure from work.

The survey shows that many single women insisted on the right feeling when choosing spouses. On the question of what is the most important factor for choosing a spouse, 54.46 percent insisted on congenial interest and right feeling; 37.48 percent regarded house, economic base and career as important; while 3 percent lay importance on family background as against only 1.13 percent considered their spouses must be very handsome.

What is the heaviest pressure for those who remain single?

The survey shows 34.97 percent noted that their pressure stemmed from loneliness and lack of security, followed by 31.46 percent who were perplexed by inquiry and urge from their family and friends, while 25.09 percent said they worry that their beauty will fade with time.

With more and more friends getting married, the social circle of many single women has become smaller and smaller. During holidays, in particular, some 70 percent of single women stay alone at home, go for window-shopping, outing or work as against only 26.24 percent goes to party or chat with friends.

As of their opinion on sex before marriage, the survey shows that 48.1 percent were not against it, while 20.31 percent insisted on virginity before marriage followed by 18.53 percent who favored long-time sexual partners.

How do single women spend their money? 30.35 percent of women said they save money for housing as against 30.02 percent who spend money on clothing and beauty. In addition, professional training and personal entertainment took up some 15 percent. Around 30 percent women believed in finding their Mr. Right at first sight.

The survey also shows that 90 percent of them declined to go to marriage agencies. 29.23 percent of the single women believed in falling in love at first sight followed by 20.1 percent who found their love through relatives or friends, and only 0.75 percent went to marriage agencies.

(People's Daily March 29, 2006)