Despite the government’s extensive efforts to encourage young people to marry and have children to halt the demographic decline in the world’s second-largest economy, the number of new marriages recorded in China fell to a record low last year.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs of China released data on Saturday indicating that approximately 6.1 million couples registered their marriages in 2024, a 20.5% decrease from the previous year. This is the lowest level of statistics released by the ministry since 1986.
Beijing faces a critical challenge in addressing the impacts of a rapidly ageing population and a decreasing workforce on the country’s sluggish economy. The drop in marriages and births intensifies this problem.
The decade-long decline since 2013 was resumed by the steep decline in the number of marriages in 2024, following a brief rebound in 2023 following the lifting of stringent Covid restrictions.
Last year’s registered marriages were fewer than half of the 13 million recorded at the peak in 2013.
Additionally, the data released on Saturday indicated a modest rise in divorces. Divorce registrations increased by 28,000 from 2023 to nearly 2.6 million couples last year.
Since 2021, China has required a 30-day “cooling-off” period for individuals who are petitioning for divorce, despite concerns that it could impede the ability of women to exit abusive or broken marriages.
Challenges Facing Young People in China: High Unemployment and Cost of Living
Despite a modest increase in the birth rate last year, China’s population has decreased for three consecutive years.
Alongside the ongoing contraction, the working-age population—those aged 16 to 59—decreased by 6.83 million last year. Meanwhile, the elderly demographic continued to expand, now comprising 22% of the total population.
In China, officials recognize a clear connection between the decline in marriages and the drop in birth rates. This stems from social norms and government regulations that create barriers for unmarried couples seeking to conceive.
To halt the decline, Chinese officials have implemented a variety of strategies, including propaganda campaigns and financial incentives, to encourage young individuals to marry and have children.
The tradition of large “bride price” payments from the groom to his future wife’s family, which placed marriage out of reach for many poor men in rural areas, has been attempted to curtail by officials who have organized blind dating events and mass weddings.
Certain local governments have provided cash incentives to encourage youthful couples to marry.
Since 2022, China’s Family Planning Association has been working on initiatives to foster a “new-era marriage and childbearing culture.” These efforts have included enrolling numerous cities to highlight the “social value of childbearing” and motivate young people to marry and start families at an “appropriate age.”
However, these policies have yet to persuade young Chinese adults experiencing high unemployment, an increasing cost of living, and the absence of robust social welfare support during the economic recession.
A significant number of individuals are postponing marriage and childbirth, and an increasing number of young people are opting to forgo them altogether.
“Life is incredibly demanding; how can anyone find the strength to get married?” This Sunday, a widely shared comment on Weibo was, “Sigh,” in response to reports of the lowest marriage rates ever.
According to Chinese officials and sociologists, the decrease in both marriages and births is partially attributable to implementing policies intended to restrict China’s population development for several decades.
These policies resulted in a reduction in the number of young individuals who were of marriageable age.
In 2015, China officially ended its long-standing one-child policy, allowing couples to have two children. By 2021, this limit was raised to three. Despite these changes, both marriage and birth rates have continued to fall.
Changes in attitudes toward marriage, particularly among young women becoming more financially independent and educated, also contribute to the persistent downward trend.
Some women are becoming increasingly disillusioned with marriage as a result of pervasive workplace discrimination and patriarchal traditions, such as the expectation that women be responsible for childcare and housework.
Salman Ahmad is known for his significant contributions to esteemed publications like the Times of India and the Express Tribune. Salman has carved a niche as a freelance journalist, combining thorough research with engaging reporting.
