Marriages In China Dropped By 20% In 2024
China has recorded a one-fifth decline in marriages last year. The latest sign of persistent demographic challenges as Beijing works to encourage births despite an uncertain economic outlook for young families.
According to data published by the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs, the country saw 6.1 million couples register for marriage in 2024, down from 7.7 million couples the previous year.
China’s birth rate dropped by 20.5 percent, aligning with the country’s third consecutive year of overall population decline. In 2023, India surpassed China as the world’s most populous nation.
China’s population of 1.4 billion is now rapidly ageing, with nearly a quarter of people aged 60 or above as of the end of last year.
The demographic trends present fresh challenges for authorities in the country, which has long relied on its vast workforce as a driver of economic growth.
The slide in marriages comes despite a pro-family campaign rolled out in recent years by Beijing, which has included various subsidies and messaging encouraging people to have children.
Economic Challenges
Experts say that higher costs — especially for education and childcare — and the challenging employment market awaiting fresh graduates are among the factors discouraging would-be parents.
A user on the Chinese microblogging site Weibo commented under a news post about the data, stating that they can’t afford to buy a house or cover the huge expenses of marriage without relying on their parents.
“This year I suddenly feel that being single is also pretty good. There’s not so much pressure, I earn and spend my own money,” the user added.
In the 1980s, Beijing imposed a strict “one-child policy” as overpopulation fears mounted. The rule only ended in 2016.
Couples were allowed to have three children in 2021, but signs of China’s demographic reversal had already begun to emerge.
Declining marriages in the world’s second-largest economy threaten to exacerbate pressure in coming years on pensions and the public health system.
In a long-anticipated move, Beijing announced in September that it would gradually raise the statutory retirement age, which—at 60—had been among the lowest in the world.
