MORE than 1.46 million couples registered for marriage in China in the second quarter of this year, marking a decrease of 34.8% compared to the first quarter, according to data from the Ministry of Civil Affairs. The statistics released by the ministry on Friday revealed that in the first half of this year, 3.43 million couples registered for marriage, a decline of 12.7% compared to the same period last year. This figure is lower than the recent low of 3.73 million couples in 2022. Data indicates that marriage rates in China have been declining annually since 2014, falling below the 10 million mark in 2019 and dropping below 7 million in 2022. While there was a slight increase last year, the trend continues downward. Conversely, the number of divorce registrations increased in the second quarter, rising from about 573,000 couples in the first quarter to approximately 701,000 couples in the second quarter, representing an increase of more than 20%. According to He Yafu, an independent demographic expert who tracks marriage registration data, based on the historical records of marriage registration, the annual number of marriage registrations in 2024 will drop to a record low since 1980. The reasons for the decline in the number of marriage registrations since 2014 include a decrease in the young population, the gender imbalance with more men than women among the marriageable population, the postponement of the age of first marriage, high costs of getting married, and changing attitudes toward marriage, he said. (China Daily) | 