China Eyes Lower Marriage Age To 18 In Bold Bid To Boost Population Rates

A Chinese state political adviser suggested reducing the country’s legal age of marriage to 18 as part of the efforts to raise the fertility rate and stem the nation’s shrinking population, state-owned Global Times said on Tuesday.

Chen Songxi, a CPPCC National Committee member, said he would present a proposal calling for the abolition of all childbirth restrictions and the provision of incentives for marriage and childbearing. His comments precede China’s annual parliamentary session next week, at which officials are due to bring forward measures to reverse the country’s continuing population decline.

Today, the legal age of marriage in China is 22 for men and 20 for women among the highest in the world while the majority of developed countries establish the age at 18. Chen contended that bringing China’s marriage age into line with the international standard would increase the population base and tap more reproductive potential.

China’s population fell for a third straight year in 2024, and the rate of marriages collapsed by 20%, its biggest recorded drop. Government initiatives aimed at promoting marriage and childbearing have been thwarted by the residual impact of the long-abandoned one-child policy that lasted from 1980 through 2015. Since 2021, couples have been allowed to have three children.

Yet, many young adults are still hesitant to have children because of the cost of childcare and fear of career breaks. Governments have launched several incentives, such as longer maternity leave, cash benefits, tax allowances, and subsidies for housing. Yet, China is still one of the most costly places to bring up a child in terms of GDP per capita, a top think tank has found.

The CPPCC, a predominantly consultative organization made up of business leaders, artists, and religious leaders, will debate these suggestions at its next session, but it has no legislative powers.