China’s marriages drop to decade low, deepening demographic concerns

Chinese flag is on display during a ate evening with the background of central business district in Beijing, China, Monday, July 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Marriage registrations in China fell 6.2 per cent year on year in the first quarter and are about half 2017 levels, official data show, underscoring the demographic strain in a country where childbearing remains closely tied to marriage.

China recorded 1.697 million marriage registrations in the quarter, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said on Saturday.

The figures are the latest sign of China’s deepening demographic challenges.

China’s population fell for a fourth consecutive year in 2025, while its birth rate dropped to a record low, prompting warnings from demographers of further decline.

Couples in China have traditionally had children after marriage, reflecting both cultural norms and administrative rules that have in some cases linked birth registration or access to benefits to a marriage certificate.

Authorities have rolled out a range of measures to encourage marriage and childbearing, including family subsidies, childcare support and efforts to reduce childbirth-related medical costs.

(Reporting by Farah Master and the Beijing newsroom. Editing by Mark Potter)