(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-02-15 18:48

HANGZHOU - More than 90 percent of female netizens in China see men around age 30 as ideal husbands, according to the country's first online love and marriage survey.

One-third of women were willing to say "I do" to 35-year-old men and men around age 40 could still win the hearts of 15.2 percent of female netizens, said the survey.

The poll covered 154,386 netizens, among whom males accounted for 57.7 percent.

Women aged 25 to 28 were the most popular choices for men. About 25.5 percent of male respondents were willing to marry women aged 30 but only 12.5 percent would accept women around 35, said the survey, released on Thursday.

Women face more pressure since their ideal age for marriage is usually lower than men's, said Professor Jiang Qianjin, a psychological expert on love and marriage at Zhejiang University.

"A 25-year-old man usually chooses girls aged 20 to 25 but a 25-year-old woman is more likely to pass by a 20-year-old boy," said Jiang, who participated in studying the survey results.

The one-month survey, consisting of an off-line questionnaire, online inquiry and professional analysis, was jointly conducted by a wedding service web site (www.hongniang.com) and the Beijing-based Committee of Wedding Service Industries of China Association of Social Workers.