Rate of marriages in China lowest since record keeping began in 1986, with cost of living and pushback against traditional gender roles contributing factors

Summary

China’s marriage rate hit a record low in 2024, with only 6.1 million marriages, a 20% drop from 2023 and the lowest since records began in 1986.

Rising costs, youth unemployment, changing gender roles, and a growing preference for single life contribute to the trend. Government incentives to boost marriage and birth rates have largely failed.

Social attitudes are shifting, with less family pressure to marry, skepticism over restrictive divorce laws, and calls for same-sex marriage recognition.

Experts warn this decline could accelerate China’s demographic and economic challenges.

  • @SlopppyEngineerEnglish
    2•3 hours ago

    If their society was more equal, I think they’d be able to marry more for love/desire/want than security.

    They’d have that possibility, but in at lot of western countries where that possibility is larger marriage rates are lower than in China.

    • 2ugly2liveEnglish
      1•2 hours ago

      That’s true. But I think that idea kind of… Lingers over a lot of western countries. Like you said, a lot of women have it baked in that whoever they marry needs to be daddy 2.0, but I think some of that comes from the fear of “messing up.” Not that divorced dads are out there dodging 🐈‍⬛ on the daily, but women get a lot of “You picked the wrong guy, so you deserve it” so they panic about picking the “right” one.