Fewer and fewer Chinese are getting married. Authorities look for ways to encourage.

The number of marriages in China has decreased due to economic instability

In the first nine months of 2024, the number of registered marriages in China, which is struggling with population decline, has decreased. This is reported by Reuters with reference to the Ministry of Civil Affairs of China.

During this period, 4.747 million marriages were registered in China. According to Reuters calculations, this is 943 thousand less compared to the previous year. In 2023, 5.69 million marriages were concluded in the first nine months of the year - this is more than in 2022.

Economic instability and rising cost of living across China are forcing young people to postpone getting married. This is a worrying signal for lawmakers who are trying to combat population decline - they recently proposed a law that will complicate divorces and ease the process of getting married.

In addition, Chinese authorities are trying to promote a culture of childbirth. In March 2023, nine vocational colleges in China gave students a week off to find love. And by August 2023, in Changshan County, young couples were offered a "reward" for getting married.

Economic crisis destroys China's billionaires

The boom in China's housing market, which lasted for several decades, led to the emergence of more and more billionaires. However, the economic downturn has since destroyed many entrepreneurs who had enormous wealth and were associated with construction companies. This is reported by the Financial Times with reference to data from the research group Hurun.

Recall, the economic crisis in China worries citizens. Beijing is afraid to resort to bolder measures to support the economy. Protests in China are growing as the consequences of the economic slowdown concern citizens, and Beijing refrains from bolder steps to support economic growth.