Record drop in marriages in China (and huge increase in divorces)

BeijingLack of economic security, women's independence and changing lifestyles, coupled with the financial strain of raising a child, discourage marriage in China. Despite government efforts to encourage weddings with various financial aids, young people are reluctant to say "I do." In 2024, the Asian giant recorded the lowest number of marriages since its statistics (1986). Last year only 6.1 million were registered compared to 7.68 million the previous year, a decrease of 20.5%.

Even during the pandemic period, when celebrations were restricted, there were more couples who dared to get married. If you go back in time, the decline is even more pronounced: in 2024, fewer than half of the marriages were registered than in 2013. Another worrying fact for the government, which is trying hard to promote family values, is that divorces have also increased. In 2024, 2.6 million couples divorced, 1.1% more than in 2023.

In reality Beijing's main concern is demographicsThe population is aging, and for three years now has begun to decline. In China, marriage is closely linked to the desire to have children. Without marriages, there are no children, and the birth rate remains very low.

Very few women choose single motherhood, as it is socially frowned upon and, until recently, entailed legal problems for children. This situation has prompted legislative reforms by some provincial governments to recognize the children of single mothers and grant them the same rights as everyone else. Surrogacy, on the other hand, remains prohibited.

The government is trying to encourage marriage and birth with a battery of measures ranging from economic incentives to ideological actions. Aid has been established for married couples and tax benefits for those who have children. Labour reforms have also been promoted to protect pregnant women and extend maternity leave. The Communist Party even organises dates and parties to make it easier for young people to meet each other. In addition, the administration pays for group weddings to reduce the costs of the ceremonies.

Tax benefits for births

So far, these incentives have not yielded results, and some initiatives to promote marriage seem out of touch with social reality. For example, schools and universities have been urged to provide "love education" to highlight the positive values of marriage and family. This teaching includes advice on fertility and "respect for motherhood," which is based mainly on recommending not delaying the age of marriage to avoid fertility problems. However, the government's theory is at odds with reality. Marriage does not appeal to young people, who prefer to postpone starting a family and enjoy their freedom.

China's economic slowdown and rising unemployment do not help either. Raising a child represents a considerable economic effort, as China is one of the most expensive countries to do so. According to the YuWa Population Research Institute, one think tank Locally, the cost of raising a child to age 18 is 6.3 times the GDP per capita, a figure second only to South Korea.

Furthermore, public education is extremely competitive and parents must invest large sums of money in private tutoring and teachers to ensure access to the best universities.

Women are the most resistant to marriage. The one-child policy, in force until 2015, has caused a gender imbalance due to preference for boys, which led to numerous selective abortions. This discrimination, paradoxically, has had a positive effect on female empowerment: many women, being only children, have received the same education and opportunities as men. Social media such as Weibo and Xiaohongshu (the Little Red Book) are full of comments from women valuing their independence and rejecting marriage, and complaints about male chauvinism are common.