One out of three Japanese men in their 20s think they may not be able to marry, despite their wish to do so, with about 60 percent citing economic insecurity as the main reason, a life insurance company survey has revealed.

The survey, conducted by Tokyo-based Lifenet Insurance Co, also showed many respondents are willing to take an active role in child-rearing.

A better economy may encourage more people to get married, thereby helping increase the number of children in the nation, company officials said.

The poll was conducted on the Internet in September covering 450 men in their 20s.

Asked whether they think they can marry, only 27.8 percent said they want to marry and can, while 35.3 percent said they do not want to marry.

The proportion of respondents who fear being unable to marry despite a desire to do so came to 36.9 percent. Topping the reasons for this was economic insecurity, cited by 60.8 percent, compared with 48.2 percent who said they are not popular with women.

The survey also showed that 87.8 percent of all respondents want to actively engage in child-rearing. But 74.9 percent said they are concerned about whether they can earn enough to cover financial costs such as education for their children as well as living expenses.

A total of 82.4 percent feel insecure about their future, but 89.6 percent said they are not taking specific steps such as saving money to ease their anxieties.