Impact of changes in the younger generation’s perception of marriage and rising wedding costs
The number of married people, including remarriages, is 13.66 million… 10.6%↓ compared to the previous year
China’s first marriage population fell below 11 million for the first time in 2022, and the number of newborns is expected to fall below 9 million in 2023, China’s state-run Global Times reported on the 20th.
According to the 2023 Statistical Yearbook published by China’s National Bureau of Statistics, the number of registered first marriages in 2022 was 10.51 million, a decrease of 1.06 million people from the previous year, recording a decline rate of 9.16%.
This is the first time in China that the number of first-time singles has fallen below 11 million. This is a 55.9% decrease from the peak of 23.85 million in 2013. Experts believe that this is a comprehensive result of the decline in the number of young people of marriageable age and the decline in some people’s desire to get married, the Global Times reported.
According to media, the number of people getting married has been steadily decreasing recently, and Chinese people are delaying registering their first marriage. According to statistics, the number of Chinese couples married in 2022 is 6.83 million (13.66 million). This is a 10.6% decrease from 2021.
Global Times pointed out that although the number of marriage registrations includes both first marriages and remarriages, the former is more relevant when it comes to newborn statistics. The media pointed out that the overall decline in the population of first marriages is the result of complex factors such as a decrease in the population of marriageable age, a delay in the age of first marriage, and changes in people’s perception of marriage and relationships.
Looking at newborn statistics over the past 40 years, China’s birth rate has been declining for many years after reaching its peak in 1987.
In response, Dr. He Yafu, a Chinese demographer, told the Global Times that the number of marriage registrations last year was the lowest on record since 1980, so it is not surprising that the number of first-time marriages has fallen to an all-time low.
Dong Yu-jeong, a demographer and special researcher at the Guangdong Provincial Government Disaster and Welfare Office, said: He said several factors have contributed to the fact that many young people today do not aspire to get married.
In addition, as some people postponed their marriages until this year due to the impact of COVID-19 at the end of last year, it was analyzed that this social atmosphere may have had an impact on the number of first-time marriages last year.
According to recent statistics from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, China’s social administration department, the number of marriage registrations in the first to third quarters of this year increased compared to the same period last year. Researcher Dong Yu-jeong explains that the total number of marriage registrations in China this year can be expected to increase compared to last year.
Researcher Dong Wi-jeong also pointed out that compared to the number of marriage registrations, the population of first marriages during childbearing age is more related to newborn statistics. Analysis of various data predicts that the decline in newborns will continue for seven consecutive years since 2017 and is likely to fall to 8 to 9 million in 2023.
He said that as the pandemic ends and the number of marriages rebounds in 2023, it is expected that births will stop declining in 2024 and begin to increase again, but the general trend of continued decline in the number of births will not change unless more vigorous childbirth support policies are introduced, Global Times reported.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.