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Number of First Marriages in China Falls Below 12 Million, a 37-year low

According to China’s National Bureau of Statistics, the number of first marriages in 2021 was 11.578 million, down 708,000 from the previous year. This is the first time in many years that the number of first marriages in China has fallen below 12 million, a new low since 1985.

There are many reasons contributing to the continuous decline in the number of first marriages, including the decline in the number of those of a marriageable age, the postponement of the age of a first marriage, economic pressure, and changes in the views toward marriage. In recent years, the average age of a first marriage among young people in China has been significantly postponed to 28.67 years, an increase of 3.78 years from the average age of the first marriage in 2010 (24.89 years).

An official of China’s National Health Commission said that the vast majority of the young population grow up and work in cities and towns, have more years of education, and face more competitive pressure for employment, all of which make the phenomenon of delayed marriage and childbearing very prominent.

Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), December 2, 2022
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202212020195.aspx