Young Chinese blame zero-Covid and economic woes for delayed marriage

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More and more people are avoiding marriage due to macroeconomic conditions such as housing costs and unemployment.

Photo: iStock

Young Chinese have postponed having babies and getting married as nearly three years of zero-Covid and a struggling economy sabotaged their life plans.

For some, settling down and raising children are never even a goal. For those who wanted it, the pandemic and the country’s finances have destroyed their hopes.

It comes as China’s aging population worries policymakers who are encouraging young Chinese to give love a chance. However, there is a distinct apathy setting in as the numbers reveal.

The South China Morning Post reported that according to China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs, the number of newly married couples fell for eight consecutive years in 2021 to 7.64 million. This is the lowest recorded since the first such data was published in 1985.

In the first three quarters of 2022, the number of couples who registered for marriage in China hit an all-time low of 5.4 million, the Chinese daily reports.

Meanwhile, the average age at first marriage has also increased in China, from 24.89 years in 2010 to 28.67 years in 2020.

Why Young Chinese Avoid Marriage

More and more people are avoiding marriage due to macroeconomic conditions such as housing costs and unemployment.

Women have already delayed marriage in China as they pursue higher education and urbanization pushes back the age of first marriage. For women with a university degree or above, the number of those who are unmarried is quite high.

Covid has also sent many young Chinese into feelings of discouragement. Strict Covid lockdown, quarantine and mass testing rules as well as movement restrictions have come to an abrupt end in the country leading to an increase in Covid-19 cases. Deaths in China could see a surge, there could be up to 5,000 deaths a day according to a report.

Young people have led low-key social lives and they believe their prospects for a bright future are dim. They also fear that strict lockdown measures will again contribute to the current Covid surge.

China’s social configuration is also to blame. Many there do not consider a couple to be married unless their families attend a lavish wedding feast, which has not been possible amid the curbs of Covid-19 for nearly three years. Without getting married, couples are unable to have a child.

On top of this, Chinese brides, mostly in rural parts of the country, are expected to pay a so-called bride price without which many brides and grooms are rejected. The communist regime shunned such practices and encouraged modern marriages, but the practice remains.

China’s pro-family policies

China has policies in place that promote the education of children. It has optimized maternity leave and is providing more public childcare according to reports, but more needs to be done. China even offers preferential housing to couples who give birth to more than one child.

A set of guidelines to promote population growth were announced in August this year. Guidelines issued by government departments included promoting antenatal and postnatal care, giving preferential accommodation to couples giving birth to more than one baby, setting up nursing facilities, improving rules maternity leave and insurance, high-quality educational resources and a fertility-friendly work environment.

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