China’s first-time marriages rebounded last year, but spike unlikely to last
First-time marriages in China increased for the first time in nearly a decade last year, but demographers suggest the rebound is unlikely to last
First-time marriages in China rebounded for the first time in nearly a decade last year, primarily thanks to delays related to the coronavirus, while the southern Guangdong province saw the most newlyweds.
But despite the number of first-time marriages increasing by more than 710,000 to 5.97 million in 2023, according to the 2024 China Statistical Yearbook released by the National Bureau of Statistics earlier this month, demographers are concerned that the growth is unsustainable.
“The increase was largely attributed to people postponing marriage in 2022 due to the pandemic, choosing instead to marry in 2023, but the willingness of young people to marry and have children is continually low under the fear of great economic pressure,” said independent demographer He Yafu.
First-time marriages in China had peaked at 11.93 million in 2013, but the figure then fell for nine straight years to a low of 5.26 million in 2022.
Dong Yuzheng, president of the Guangdong Sociological Society, also told financial media portal Yicai that the spike was unlikely to last.
