China's marriage rate in third quarter tumbles to 18-year low
Authorities are offering subsidies and childcare support as 4.65 million couples married and 2.08 million divorced, data showed.
- On Wednesday, the Ministry of Civil Affairs reported China recorded 4.648 million marriage registrations in the first nine months of 2026, down 504,000 from a year earlier.
- This figure represents an 18-year low for China, fueling concerns about declining birth rates and demographic strain in a country where childbearing remains closely tied to wedlock.
- Reuters reported that the data also showed 2.08 million couples divorced during the same nine-month period, illustrating broader shifts in marriage patterns.
- Authorities have rolled out measures including family subsidies and childcare support, while pledging to integrate youth development into urban planning and public services.
- The United Nations projects the number of women of reproductive age, ages 15 to 49, will drop to under 100 million by the end of the century.
5 Articles
5 Articles
China's marriage rate in third quarter tumbles to 18-year low
China's marriage rate for the first nine months of this year plummeted to its lowest level in 18 years, fueling concerns about declining births and demographic strain in a country where childbearing remains closely tied to wedlock.
Marriage registrations fall by 504,000 in first 9 months as world's second-largest economy struggles with shrinking population
China sees nearly 10% drop in marriages, foreshadowing lower birth rate in 2027
China has witnessed a nearly 10 per cent drop in the number of marriages in the first three quarters of the year, signalling a possible full-year fall in 2026 after a rebound in 2025. The country recorded 4.648 million marriage registrations in the first nine months, down 504,000 from a year earlier, data released on Wednesday by the Ministry of Civil Affairs showed. The latest figures mean that 2026 marriage registrations would most likely see …
The decline in marriage registrations in China has intensified. The latest official data shows that in the first three quarters of this year, 4.648 million couples registered for marriage nationwide, a decrease of 504,000 couples compared to 5.152 million couples in the same period last year, representing a drop of 9.78%, the lowest record for the same period since quarterly statistics began in 2008. During the same period, 2.082 million couples…
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