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

HONG KONG: 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.

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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.