Marriages in China dropped by 20% in 2024, marking the largest decline on record, despite efforts by authorities to encourage young couples to wed and have children.
The high cost of childcare and education, along with economic uncertainty, has contributed to the reluctance to marry and start families.
According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, 6.1 million couples registered for marriage last year, down from 7.68 million in 2023. “Unprecedented! Even in 2020, during COVID-19, marriages only decreased by 12.2%,” said Yi Fuxian, a demographer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He noted that the figure is less than half the 13.47 million marriages recorded in 2013.
If this trend persists, China’s economic and political ambitions could be jeopardized by its demographic challenges, Yi added.
Aging Population and Government Response
China, the world’s second-most populous country, is aging rapidly due to the one-child policy (1980-2015) and rapid urbanization. An estimated 300 million Chinese - nearly the size of the U.S. population - are expected to retire in the coming decade.
Authorities have introduced various measures to reverse declining marriage and birth rates, including:
- “Love education” in colleges to promote positive attitudes towards marriage and family.
- Government initiatives to encourage childbearing and marriage at the “right age.”
Birthrate and Divorce Trends
Despite a slight rise in births in 2024—partly attributed to the Year of the Dragon, which is believed to bring fortune - the population declined for the third consecutive year.
Meanwhile, divorces increased by 1.1%, with 2.6 million couples filing for separation in 2024, reflecting further challenges in family stability.
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