Beijing : New data from the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs reveals a significant decline in marriage registrations, coinciding with rising unemployment rates among the country's youth. The first quarter of 2024 saw 1.969 million couples registering marriages, an 8.3 percent drop from the same period in 2023.

According to experts, the decline is driven by the high cost of marriage and mounting economic pressures. More than half of Chinese individuals aged 25 to 29 remained unmarried last year, according to the Voice of America (VOA).

China, the world’s second-largest economy, faces challenges in maintaining its workforce. Since the peak of 13.27 million marriages in 2013, the country has experienced a steady decline in marriage registrations, despite a brief rebound in 2023, as reported by Epoch Times.

In 2023, there were 7.68 million marriages, up from 6.833 million in 2022, but divorce registrations also increased from 2.1 million in 2022 to 2.59 million in 2023.

The falling marriage rate raises concerns about declining birth rates amid an aging population. The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) suggests the uptick in marriages in 2023 was a temporary anomaly rather than a reversal of the long-term trend towards an aging society with low fertility and declining youth numbers.

China's abrupt lifting of its strict Covid-zero policies in late 2022, which had imposed severe mobility restrictions and city-wide lockdowns, led to a temporary rebound in economic activity and marriage rates. However, these policies also caused many couples to postpone weddings, contributing to an 11 percent drop in marriages between 2021 and 2022.

CFR notes that in East Asia, where extra-marital births are rare, declining marriage rates directly correlate with declining fertility rates. China appears to be following its East Asian neighbors towards a rapidly aging society with low marriage and fertility rates.

Ji Feng, a prominent figure in the 1989 student movement, told the Epoch Times that the Chinese youth have less appetite for marriage due to economic struggles. "The economic downturn has left many struggling to afford even basic meals, shifting priorities towards survival above all else," Ji said.

High unemployment rates, particularly in small and medium-sized cities and rural areas, make marriage unaffordable without a stable income. Research by Zhang Dandan, an associate professor at Peking University, estimated the actual youth unemployment rate in China in March 2023 reached as high as 46.5 percent.

Gary Ng, a senior economist at Natixis Corporate and Investment Bank, described the decline in marriage rates as "unavoidable," given the changing attitudes of China's young population. James Chin, an Asian studies professor, highlighted concerns about the potential age imbalance.

The high costs associated with raising children and increasing divorce rates further discourage marriage in China. Additionally, the burden of pension obligations is growing, with major state pension funds expected to run out of money by 2035 due to the rapidly increasing number of retirees.

The combination of economic pressures, high unemployment, and shifting social attitudes is driving a significant decline in marriage rates in China, posing challenges for the country's demographic and economic future.