Majority of Germans Prefer Character over Wealth in Partner

File photo: Tourists take pictures of themselves at the Berlin Wall. Wolfgang Kumm/AFP
File photo: Tourists take pictures of themselves at the Berlin Wall. Wolfgang Kumm/AFP
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Majority of Germans Prefer Character over Wealth in Partner

File photo: Tourists take pictures of themselves at the Berlin Wall. Wolfgang Kumm/AFP
File photo: Tourists take pictures of themselves at the Berlin Wall. Wolfgang Kumm/AFP

A new survey revealed that character is one of the most important factors that the majority of Germans take into consideration when choosing their partners.

The survey’s results showed that character topped the list of factors sought by 56 percent of women and 51 percent of men when choosing a life partner.

The survey asked the participants to arrange six traits from most to least important when choosing a life partner. The proposed characteristics were: character, sense of humor, intelligence, common interests, physical appearance, and wealth.

According to the survey, the importance of sense of humor significantly differed between both genders. It was the most important trait to look for in the partner for 17 percent of women, and 11 percent of men.

As per physical appearance, it ranked first among 7 percent of women, and 17 percent of men, while both sexes agreed that wealth was the least important feature when choosing a partner.

The survey, which was conducted by the YouGov Institute, ran from July 23 to August 30, and polled more than 2,000 Germans over 18 years old.

The institute conducted the survey in 19 other countries, founding that character is one of the most important qualities that women seek when choosing a life partner. This characteristic was of great importance to women in the Scandinavian countries: Sweden, Denmark and Norway, 73 percent, 69 percent, and 66 percent respectively.

Character and physical appearance came in the same rank, as the most sought after trait when looking for a life partner among men in Indonesia (35 percent). Overall, the survey showed that men who see appearance as one of the most important traits is greater in all countries where women named appearance as the most important characteristic when choosing a partner.

In general, appearance plays an important role in choosing a life partner. Previous studies have shown that women feel strongly attracted to men who resemble their fathers, while men had affinity for women who resemble their mothers.



Syria Seeks EU Help to Battle Massive Wildfires

FILE : A fire burns at a forest in Latakia province, Syria in this handout released by SANA on October 9, 2020. SANA/Handout via REUTERS
FILE : A fire burns at a forest in Latakia province, Syria in this handout released by SANA on October 9, 2020. SANA/Handout via REUTERS
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Syria Seeks EU Help to Battle Massive Wildfires

FILE : A fire burns at a forest in Latakia province, Syria in this handout released by SANA on October 9, 2020. SANA/Handout via REUTERS
FILE : A fire burns at a forest in Latakia province, Syria in this handout released by SANA on October 9, 2020. SANA/Handout via REUTERS

Syria’s minister of emergencies and disaster management on Tuesday requested support from the European Union to battle wildfires that have swept through a vast stretch of forested land.

The fires have been burning for six days, with Syrian emergency crews struggling to bring them under control amid strong winds and severe drought.

Neighboring countries Jordan, Lebanon and Türkiye have already dispatched firefighting teams to assist in the response.

“We asked the European Union for help in extinguishing the fires,” minister Raed al-Saleh said on X, adding Cyprus was expected to send aid on Tuesday, AFP reported.

“Fear of the fires spreading due to strong winds last night prompted us to evacuate 25 families to ensure their safety without any human casualties,” he added.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) office in Syria, the fires impacted “some 5,000 persons, including displacements, across 60 communities.”

An estimated 100 square kilometers (40 square miles) of forest and farmland -- more than three percent of Syria’s forest cover -- have burned, OCHA told AFP.

At least seven towns in Latakia province have been evacuated as a precaution.

Efforts to extinguish the fires have been hindered by “rugged terrain, the absence of firebreaks, strong winds, and the presence of mines and unexploded ordnance”, Saleh said.

With man-made climate change increasing the likelihood and intensity of droughts and wildfires worldwide, Syria has also been battered by heatwaves and low rainfall.

In June, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization said Syria had “not seen such bad climate conditions in 60 years.”