Some 4.74 million Chinese couples registered their marriages in the first three quarters of 2024, a decrease of 16.6% from the 5.69 million recorded in the same period last year, according to data released by the Ministry of Civil Affairs on Friday.
A rebound in marriages last year after stringent Covid restrictions were lifted appears to be an anomaly largely driven by pent-up demand.
Many are postponing marriage and childbirth – and a growing number of young people even choose to eschew them entirely.
The stubborn downward trend is also a result of changing attitudes to marriage, especially among young women who are becoming more educated and financially independent.
In the first nine months of this year, some 1.96 million couples registered for divorces, a slight decline of 6,000 year-on-year, according to data from the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
Persons:
”, Cai Jingyu, –
Organizations:
Hong Kong CNN, Ministry of Civil Affairs, Association, China isn’t
Locations:
Hong Kong, China, Beijing, People’s Republic, India, Shenyang Imperial, Shenyang, Japan, South Korea