China’s marriage rate at 5-year low in 2018

By Gaurav Sharma

Beijing, April 6 (IANS) China's marriage rate dropped to a five-year low of 7.2 in 2018, yet another cause of worry for the country that has the world's largest ageing population.

The marriage rate dropped from 9.9 per 1,000 people in 2013 to a five-year low of 7.2 per 1,000 people in 2018, said China's National Bureau of Statistics and the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA).

While people in the 20-24 age group had the highest record of marriage registrations before 2012, people between 25 years and 29 years were the mainstay in 2017, accounting for 36.9 per cent of all registered couples, state news agency Xinhua said citing the official statistics.

2018 also witnessed the lowest birth rate since 1961 with the country registering 15.23 million new births.

China is the fastest greying society in the world. Around 330 million Chinese will be over 65 years of age by 2050, which will be a drag on China's already slowing economy.

The increased cost of living and child education are some of the major reasons for the country's youth staying single. The figures vary in different regions with the more developed one having lower marriage rates.

Tying the knot is no longer a "necessity" for today's young adults, with many preferring to stay single, Xinhua said. "I'd prefer a high quality single life to a low-quality marriage" is the common refrain.

The decrease is also closely related to the changing demographic structure, said Shi Zhilei, associate professor at the School of Public Administration of the Zhongnan University of Economics and Law.

"The attitude towards marriage and bearing a child is changing among those born in the 1980s or 1990s, with more choosing to marry late or no marriage at all," said Lu Jiehua, professor of sociology with Peking University.

"In an increasingly tolerant society, marriage is not the only option," Lu said.

The government has been encouraging youth to date. Some universities have dating courses, while a province has decided to give its single employees two and half day leave to have more time.