China’s marriage rate in third quarter tumbles to 18-year low

HONG KONG, Nov 6 (Reuters) – 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.

• A total of 4.65 million couples got married from January to end September, while 2.08 million couples divorced, according to data from the Ministry of Civil Affairs published this week

• The number was the lowest in 18 years, local news outlet Yicai reported on Friday

• Chinese authorities have rolled out a range of measures in recent years to encourage marriage and childbearing, including family subsidies, childcare support, and reduced childbirth-related medical costs

• They have also pledged to integrate youth development into urban planning, housing, healthcare, education and public services, in a broader push to make urban life more supportive for young people, children and families

• Despite these efforts, China is now supporting more elderly people than children, with the old-age dependency ratio surpassing that of children

• China’s population fell for a fourth consecutive year in 2025, as its birth rate dropped to a record low, prompting demographers to warn of further declines

• The number of women in China of reproductive age, defined by the United Nations as 15-49, is set to drop by more than two-thirds to under 100 million by the end of the century

(Reporting by Farah Master and the Beijing newsroom; Editing by Saad Sayeed)