The marriage landscape of China is undergoing a significant shift, with a sharp decline in marriage registrations. The Ministry of Civil Affairs reported a 20% drop in marriages last year, with only 6.1 million couples tying the knot, down from 7.68 million in the previous year. This drastic decline has raised concerns among authorities actively promoting marriage and childbearing to combat the nation’s shrinking population.
Demographer Yi Fuxian from the University of Wisconsin-Madison described the drop as “unprecedented,” noting that even during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the decline was only 12.2%. He also pointed out that marriage rates last year were less than half of the 13.47 million recorded in 2013.
If this trend continues, Fuxian warned that “the Chinese government’s political and economic ambitions will be ruined by its demographic Achilles’ heel.”
China’s Aging Population Poses Challenges
China, the world’s second-most populous country, is witnessing rapid aging. In the next decade, around 300 million citizens—equivalent to the entire US population—are expected to enter retirement. The birth rate has been on a steady decline for decades, largely due to the one-child policy (1980-2015) and rapid urbanization.
These factors have contributed to the population crisis, with China’s total population declining for the third consecutive year.
Government Initiatives to Boost Marriage and Childbearing
Authorities have launched various initiatives to address this demographic challenge. Last year, the government urged colleges and universities to provide “love education,” encouraging positive views on marriage, love, fertility, and family. In November, the state council directed local governments to allocate resources toward resolving the population crisis and promoting respect for marriage and childbearing “at the right age.”
Dragon Year Effect on Birth Rates
Despite efforts to boost births, the numbers remain a concern. A slight increase in births last year was observed, attributed to 2024 being the Chinese zodiac year of the dragon. Traditionally, children born in this year are believed to have great fortune and ambition, prompting some couples to plan births accordingly. However, this small surge has not reversed the overall declining trend.
Divorce filing also went up and, according to data, exceeded 2.6 million last year; as a result, this is an uptrend of 1.1% against last year’s figures of 2023. As China faces its demographics battle, authorities have to go through a hard time to convince the youths to get married, give birth, and ideally to instill family ethics among them.
