Marriages in China plummeted by 20% in 2024, reaching the lowest level since record-keeping began in 1986, as young people continue to resist government efforts encouraging them to marry and have children.
According to data from China’s civil affairs ministry, the number of marriages fell from 7.7 million in 2023 to 6.1 million in 2024. This marks a sharp decline from the 2013 figure and is the lowest recorded since the country began tracking marriage rates.
The data also revealed that divorce rates have risen, with 2.6 million couples filing for divorce in 2024, an increase of 1.1% from the previous year.
The decline in marriages follows a brief rebound in 2023, when many couples caught up on delayed weddings after COVID-19 restrictions. There was also speculation that some avoided marrying in 2024 due to it being considered an inauspicious “widow year” in the Chinese lunar calendar. Despite this, the broader trend shows a growing reluctance to marry, particularly among younger generations, which continues to defy government efforts to reverse China’s demographic decline.
“It’s not that people don’t want to get married, but that they can’t afford to get married!” said one Changzhou-based commenter on Weibo, reflecting the growing frustration. The post received more than 46 million interactions on the social media platform.
China, with the world’s second-largest population, has for decades imposed strict birth control policies, including the one-child policy. However, with an aging and shrinking population now threatening the country’s economic future, the government is pushing for higher birth rates, primarily by encouraging marriages.
But for many young people, marriage and children are no longer seen as priorities. “For many young people, not getting married is an active choice,” one commenter on Weibo said. “At the same time, having their own lifestyle and enjoying single life is also a big reason.”
The growing reluctance to marry is fueled by rising costs of living, youth unemployment, and an increasing pushback against traditional gender roles. Many young women, in particular, feel less inclined to marry as they can support themselves financially and no longer feel the need to rely on men.
“Women can support themselves and do not need to rely on men. The willingness to get married is much lower than in the past,” one Weibo user said.
Experts attribute the marriage decline to a range of factors, including a shrinking young adult population, poor economic prospects for new graduates, and shifting cultural attitudes. “Collapsing marriage rates reflect a convergence of social forces,” said Carl Minzner, senior fellow for China studies at the Council for Foreign Relations. “A declining population of young adults, a darkening economic outlook, changing attitudes toward marriage, and escalating gender polarization between men and women.”
Social pressures around marriage have also eased. Commenters on Weibo noted a shift in family expectations, with less focus on unmarried individuals in their late 20s or early 30s. “Ten years ago, what I heard most from relatives was about which daughter or son was not married by the age of 27 or 28. Now, what I hear is about those basically 30 years old and above. [Getting married before] 27 or 28 is no longer eligible for discussion.”
The introduction of a controversial divorce cooling-off period in 2021, making it harder for couples to divorce quickly, has further complicated the notion of marriage for some. This policy has created an “easy entry and strict exit” dynamic, making people more cautious about committing.
