Why are Chinese marriages falling?

• In 2024, only 6.1 million couples registered to marry in China, a 20.3% drop from 2023 figures.

• The decline is attributed to rising living costs and urban unemployment, with 44% of urban women not wanting to marry.

• The one-child policy, introduced in the 1980s, has led to a rise in deaths and birthrates, causing a decline in marriages.

• The government has tried to reverse this trend with the introduction of a two-child policy in 2016, which was later modified to a three-child policy in 2021.

• The desire for a male child has led to an unbalanced sex-ratio.

• The declining population has intensified pension pressure, with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) predicting that the pension fund may run out by 2035.

• The falling birthrates have increased the demand for care giving and healthcare, and many kindergartens have been shutting down.

• The cost of raising a child is proving an insurmountable deterrent to the people, impacting the economic future and stability of the Chinese government.

• The Chinese government is attempting to resolve the situation with policies and diktats, without acknowledging the need for people-centric solutions.

• The government’s policies seem to be directed towards safeguarding the party’s power, rather than the needs of the larger society.