Culture Society, Identity and Belonging
China wants its citizens to wed, but it’s not working. The number of new marriages fell to a record low last year, according to data released by China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs on Saturday.
Just over six million couples registered their marriages in 2024, a fall of 20 per cent on the previous year and less than half the 13.5 million who tied the knot in 2013.
This is despite a decade in which China has abandoned its one-child policy, lowered the cost of IVF and encouraged universities to provide “love education” for young people.
Marriage strongly informs the birthrate in China, where unwed couples and single people rarely have children.
Nearly half of China’s population is over 60 years old and roughly 300 million are predicted to leave the workforce in the coming decade.
Young adults seem to be in no rush to help.
