In 2024, China witnessed an unprecedented decrease in marriage rates, as the number of registrants for marriage decreased by 20% to only 6.1 million, which is the lowest level since the start of data registration in 1986, according to Reuters.
This significant decline – according to the agency – is a major challenge for the Chinese government, which is striving to address the worsening demographic crisis and its impact on the second largest economy in the world.
Economic and social reasons
A Bloomberg Agency report indicates that the low marriage rate is due to the high costs of childcare and education in China, making the formation of a family a large financial burden.
The slowdown in economic growth in recent years has also contributed to increasing the difficulty of finding stable jobs for university graduates, which has sparked a general feeling of financial insecurity among young people.
Antogency strikes the economy
The population of China is 1.4 billion, but the country is facing an acceleration in the rate of aging, as it is expected that the number of retirees will reach 300 million during the next decade.
This demographic transformation increases economic pressures, as the population decreases, threatening to sustain Economic growth The burden on the social security system increases.
Government efforts to encourage marriage and childbearing
To confront this crisis, the Chinese government launched a series of initiatives, including:
- Enhancing teaching emotional relationships and marriage: The government asked universities and colleges to provide educational programs that focus on the importance of marriage and childbearing.
- Launching local awareness campaigns: Local authorities called for awareness of the importance of marriage and childbearing “at the appropriate age”, and respecting the value of the family.
- Promotion of the Dragon Year: The year 2024, which is the “year of the dragon” according to the Chinese calendar, witnessed a slight increase in births, as it is believed that children born this year enjoy ambition and wealth.
Despite these efforts, the population of China decreased for the third year in a row, highlighting the ongoing challenges.
On the other hand, the data showed a rise of 1.1% in the number of divorce requests, reaching more than 2.6 million cases in 2024.
This decrease in marriage and birth rates is a long -term threat to the Chinese economy. As the workforce shrinks and the high rate of aging, China will face increasing difficulties in maintaining its economic growth rates, especially in light of the increasing spending on social and health care.
