In 2024, weddings in China declined by 20 % as young people resisted government efforts to persuade them to settle and produce more children.
China’s Urban Affairs Ministry’s data shows that marriages in China have dropped from 7.7m to 6.1m in 2023. The figure was less than half the number registered in 2013, and the lowest after the record capping began in 1986.
Statistics also show that in 2024, 2.6 million couple filed for divorce, which is 1.1 % higher than the previous year.
After a brief recovery of 2023, a sharp dive was increased in the napkils when people were trapped in weddings after many years of restrictions. It was also speculated that in 2024, people refrained from marrying because it was An invasive “widow year” In Chinese lunar piety.
But the broader trend remained on the track – the ruling Communist Party strongly resisted the pressure of the ruling Communist Party to reject China’s population decline.
“It’s not that people don’t want to get married, but they can’t afford to get married!” A commentator based on the Changzhou based on China’s social media platform, Webu, said that from Monday, there are more than 46 million engagements about the subject.
China is the second largest population in the world, and for decades strict restrictions have been imposed on the birth of children, including the policy of a child. But now, since China faces a decline and an elderly population, which threatens the country’s economic future, the dictatorial government wants people to have more children.
A large part of the push is trying to encourage more weddings. Due to traditional values ​​and various government rules, the birth of a baby after marriage is firmly associated with marriage in China.
But decades of sanctions mean that there are still very few people who are married – and those who are not interested in marriage or children.
“For many young people, not getting married is an active choice. At the same time, having your lifestyle and enjoying a single life is also a major reason,” said another commentator on Webo.
“Women can cooperate and do not need to rely on men. The willingness to get married is much less than in the past.
The concern over the unemployment of top youth, living, education and child care costs and the blow against traditional gender roles remains rapidly against the government’s financing and restoration of policies.
“The elimination rate of marriage rates reflects the stability of social powers: the declining population of young adults, a dark economic approach to recent graduates, changing attitudes about marriage, and between men and women Increase gender polarization. ” In the Council for Foreign Relations, which described Drop in nipples as “extreme”.
Webo commenters also noted how society has shown “more tolerant”, highlighting some people that they have changed the pressure level by families in recent Chinese New Year gatherings Has
“Ten years ago, what I heard from relatives was about what I had not married to a daughter or son at the age of 27 or 28. Now, what I hear is mainly. About 30 years and older people. [Getting married before] 27 or 28 are no longer eligible for debate.
Many commentators also cited the controversial introduction of the duration of divorce in 2021, which made them careful with “easy admission and strict exit” for marriage. Others noted China’s refusal to legalize homosexual marriage or provide equal rights to a homosexual couple.
Why did the number of wedding enrollment fall again in 2024? Because I’m gay, “a woman wrote.
