China sees drop in marriage registrations in 2024
What's the story
China has seen a sharp decline in marriage registrations in the first nine months of 2024.
Official data released by the Ministry of Civil Affairs showed that 4.747 million couples registered their marriages during this period, a decline of 943,000 from the same period in 2023 when 5.690 million couples registered.
The trend is reportedly attributed to economic uncertainty and rising living costs, prompting young couples to delay marriage.
Economic impact
Economic factors influence marriage decisions among Chinese youth
The drop in marriage registrations is largely due to economic reasons.
Young couples are opting to postpone marriage amid increasing economic uncertainty and rising living costs across China.
The trend has triggered intense discussions on social media platforms, with many young Chinese people raising concerns over poor job prospects and future economic growth.
Government response
China's government responds to declining marriage and birth rates
Amid falling marriage registrations and a second straight annual decline in nationwide births, China's government has launched projects and campaigns to promote a "new-era" culture of marriage and childbearing.
A draft law was also revised to ease the marriage registration process while complicating divorce.
These efforts are part of lawmakers' broader efforts to tackle China's shrinking population problem.
Divorce trend
Divorce rates also see a slight decrease in 2024
The first three quarters of 2024 also witnessed a slight decline in divorce registrations, with 1.967 million divorces registered. The number is a drop of 6,000 from the previous year.
The issue of marriage and having children has been a hotly debated topic among young Chinese on social media platforms, with many opting to remain single or delay marriage over economic concerns.