China's tally of marriage registrations down in 2024

China recorded a total of 6.106 million marriage registrations throughout 2024, down 20.5 percent year-on-year, according to a bulletin of statistics issued by the Ministry of Civil Affairs Wednesday.

The document also shows that the marriage rate among Chinese people was 4.3 per 1,000 people last year, a decrease of 0.11 percentage points from the previous year.

In 2024, a total of 3.513 million divorces were concluded in China, according to the document.

After nine consecutive years of decline from 2013 to 2022, China's marriage registration numbers saw a brief rebound in 2023. However, the downward trend resumed in 2024 and continued into 2025.

According to statistics released in April, China recorded 1.81 million marriage registrations in the first quarter of this year, marking an 8 percent drop from the same period last year.

Li Ting, a population expert at Renmin University of China in Beijing, noted that last year's decline in marriage registrations was partly due to the waning post-pandemic "compensatory" marriage effect and a shrinking population of people within the typical marriageable age range.

According to calculations based on data from the National Bureau of Statistics, the number of people aged 20 to 39, the core marriageable age group, stood at around 435 million in 2013. By 2023, that number had dropped to approximately 371 million, a decline of about 64 million.

Experts also point to shifting attitudes toward marriage and financial pressures as contributing factors behind the downward trend. Rising education levels and a growing emphasis on individualism have increasingly challenged traditional views on marriage, Li added.

The decline in marriage rates is widely believed to be a factor in falling birth rates, trends that are fueling growing public concern. In response, authorities across China have rolled out a series of pro-marriage policies and measures to reverse the trend.

In May, China's revised marriage registration rules, which simplify paperwork and offer greater flexibility for couples, came into effect.

The updated regulations eliminate the need for household registration books, which have long been necessary for marriage applications. Under the new rules, couples can register their marriage at any eligible registry nationwide, regardless of their household registration location.

Besides, China has rolled out extended marriage leave in at least 27 provincial-level regions as part of ongoing efforts to foster a more family-friendly society.

Over recent years, China has also launched a persistent campaign against exorbitant bride prices alongside lavish weddings in rural areas, in a bid to address irrational burdens related to marriage.

A judicial interpretation on handling bride price-related disputes, issued by the Supreme People's Court, came into effect in February 2024. It prohibited requesting money or other possessions in the name of marriage.