Singapore’s primary Chinese language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao recently reported on Chinese marriage registration data released by the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs. In 2024 there were 6.1 million marriage registrations nationwide in China, down 20.5 percent from the previous year. This is the largest decline since the Chinese government first began tracking marriage statistics in 1978. Marriages are down by more than 50% since the peak rate in 2013.
Chinese marriage registrations have declined each year since 2013, with the exception of 2023 when China lifted the Zero-Covid lockdown policy and there was a moderate rebound in registrations. Chinese scholars studying population issues indicated that the primary factor causing the decline in Chinese marriages is “a reduction in the number of young people who are suitable for marriage.” This trend is a long-term consequence of the CCP’s one-child policy. A secondary factor causing the decline in marriages is “reduced willingness of marriageable people to get married,” with the age of first marriage also being delayed. In many big cities, the average first marriage age is now close to 30 years old. Chinese scholars have suggested that the government “explore ways to reduce the social and cultural burden of marriage as well as the cost of marriage.”
While the number of new marriages fell in China, the number of divorce registrations increased to 2.62 million last year, a slight increase of 1.1 percent.
Source: Lianhe Zaobao, February 10, 2025
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/china/story20250210-5858203