Last year, China saw a record low number of marriages since public records were made available, adding to a nine-year decline in matrimony that coincides with dropping birth rates and has instigated government concerns surrounding a demographic crisis.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs released data on Friday, stating that 6.83 million couples got married in 2022, a 10.5% decrease from the 7.63 million marriage registrations the previous year, and a historic low since 1986, when statistics were first made available. While these numbers could be attributed to the challenging circumstances faced by people across the country due to strict Covid-19 measures, the decline in marriages has been steady since 2013, when over 13 million couples got married.
China's declining number of marriages and the sharp decrease in births has issued a key concern for authorities in Beijing, with experts predicting a severe economic impact from an ageing population and a shrinking workforce. Last year, China's population shrank for the first time in over 60 years, with only 6.77 births per 1,000 people, the lowest level since the establishment of Communist China in 1949. China is now the world's second most populous country, with its population of 1.4 billion people trailing behind India, as per the United Nations.
Chinese officials see a direct correlation between the decline in marriages and the fall in births in the country, where societal norms and government regulations make it difficult for unmarried couples to have children. The government has taken numerous steps to combat this issue, including relaxing the policy which previously controlled the number of children married couples could have for decades, incentives for marriage and childbirth, and encouraging the sharing of child-rearing responsibilities.
However, these attempts have yet to see noteworthy results, with looming economic and societal issues remaining in play. The increasing age of marriage, gender imbalance, and the overall declining number of young people in China have all contributed to the latest drop in marriages, as pointed out by independent demographer He Yafu in a report for the state-run Global Times.
In addition, changing gender norms and expansion of career opportunities for women, as seen in other parts of the world, are driving the marriage age higher and influencing attitudes towards the institution. In particular, younger women are becoming increasingly disillusioned with marriage's role in cementing gender inequality.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs' recent release of data also shows a slight drop in divorce rates, with 2.1 million couples getting divorced in 2022, down from 2.13 million couples the previous year. However, the government's introduction of a 30-day "cooling-off" period for those filing for divorce has garnered criticism, with concerns that it could make it more difficult for women to leave broken or abusive marriages.
China is not the only country grappling with falling birth rates and declining populations; in recent years, Japan and South Korea have similarly introduced measures to encourage childbirth, such as financial incentives, cash vouchers, subsidies for housing, and greater childcare support, with limited success.