Marriages in China dropped by a fifth last year, marking the biggest decline on record despite government efforts to encourage young couples to wed and have children. The high cost of child care and education, along with economic challenges, have deterred many from starting families. The number of registered marriages decreased to 6.1 million from 7.68 million the previous year, which is less than half of the number in 2013. This decline poses a challenge to China’s political and economic ambitions, especially as the country faces an aging population. Authorities have implemented measures to promote marriage and childbearing, such as providing “love education” in universities and urging local governments to address the population crisis. Although there was a slight increase in births last year, the overall population continued to decline for the third consecutive year. Moreover, the number of couples filing for divorce also increased slightly. Despite efforts to reverse these trends, China’s demographic challenges remain a significant concern for the government as it grapples with an aging population and declining birth rates.
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