Only about 10 percent of workers are really willing to take child-rearing leave, even though the majority feel they should, a survey suggests.

The survey was conducted by a private foundation on 4,800 workers in January and February in six cities in the Tokyo and Osaka regions, with 1,140 workers, or about 23.8 percent, responding.

Respondents were grouped into three categories -- those currently rearing a child, married people without a child, and single people.

In all three categories, 94 percent to 98 percent of respondents said they "strongly agree" or "tend to agree" that women should take child-rearing leave.

On men taking child-rearing leave, married workers without children were the biggest backers, with 62 percent of males and 75 percent of females expressing support.

But when male workers without children were asked if they themselves were prepared to take such leave, only 11 percent said yes. Just 7 percent of female workers who are married but have no children were prepared to have their husbands take such leave.

Even among those who are currently rearing children, only 7 percent of men and 15 percent of women said they are really willing to take child-rearing leave.

Among married men with no children, 56 percent said it is difficult to take such leave because of a lack of support in their workplace, the resulting decrease in income and the importance of their jobs.