| China's marriage landscape has undergone a significant shift, with a record-breaking decline in marriages last year. The country's Ministry of Civil Affairs reported a staggering 20% drop in marriage registrations, with only 6.1 million couples getting married, down from 7.68 million in the previous year. This drastic decline has raised concerns among authorities, who have been actively promoting marriage and childbearing to combat the country's dwindling population. Demographer Yi Fuxian from the University of Wisconsin-Madison described the drop as "unprecedented," highlighting that even during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, marriages only decreased by 12.2%. Fuxian also noted that the number of marriages in China last year was less than half of the 13.47 million recorded in 2013. If this trend continues, Fuxian warned that "the Chinese government's political and economic ambitions will be ruined by its demographic Achilles' heel." China's population, the second-largest in the world, is aging rapidly, with roughly 300 million citizens - equivalent to the entire US population expected to enter retirement in the coming decade. The birth rate has been declining for decades, largely due to the country's one-child policy, which was in place from 1980 to 2015, and rapid urbanisation. To address this pressing concern, authorities have implemented various measures to encourage marriage and childbearing. Last year, Chinese authorities urged colleges and universities to provide "love education" to promote positive views on marriage, love, fertility, and family. In November, the state council directed local governments to allocate resources toward resolving the population crisis and promoting respect for childbearing and marriages "at the right age". Despite these efforts, the number of births in China remains a concern, with a slight increase last year following a pandemic-induced lull, because 2024 was the Chinese zodiac year of the dragon - and children born that year are considered to be ambitious and have a great fortune. However, the country's population still declined for the third consecutive year. The data also revealed a rise in divorce filings, with over 2.6 million couples seeking divorce last year, representing a 1.1% increase from 2023. As China grapples with its demographic challenges, authorities face an uphill battle in promoting marriage, childbearing, and family values among the younger generation. |
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