About 41.2 percent of single women in China were worried that they might not be able to find a right person to get married, according to a recent survey.

The figure was almost five times lower in men as only 8.1 single men interviewed admitted that they had the same worry, said the survey, which lasted three years and attracted more than 2.02 million respondents.

The survey also said that some 40 percent women admitted they had high expectations for their future husbands. But 44 percent said they would not lower their standards just in order to get married.

The survey was jointly conducted by the China Association of Marriage and Family Studies (CAMF), the Committee of Match-making Service Industries under the China Association of Social Workers and the Baihe.com, a major Chinese match-making website.

The respondents, reached either by random visits in the street or by online questionnaire, averaged at about 30 years old.

Fan Aitian, general secretary of the CAMF, told Xinhua Sunday that the problem with the singles in finding the better half lay in confused and impatient attitude toward marriage.

"Many single people especially women are confused in their criteria of a suitable spouse under the pressure from society and work," Fan said.

(Xinhua News Agency January 11, 2010)