China, which is already struggling with a dropping population level, has recorded a major drop in the first nine months of 2024.
According to Reuters, the official data released by the Ministry of Civil Affairs on Friday, October 30, 2024, showed that in the first three quarters of 2024, 4.747 million couples registered for marriage nationwide, which is a year-on-year decrease of 943,000.
Meanwhile, in 2023, 5.690 million couples registered for marriage in the first nine months, an increase from 2022.
The current data has appeared as a troubling sign for lawmakers who are struggling with the declining population and are trying to make policies to boost the shrinking numbers.
Moreover, the data also found that the birth rate in China has dropped for the second year in a row, after which the government has decided to launch a program in cities to encourage couples to start families.
In a recently revised draft law, China has made it easier for couples to register marriages, on the other hand, filing for divorce has become tougher.
The data revealed that in the first quarter of the year, 1.967 million divorces were registered, which is a drop of 6,000 in a year.
The economic uncertainty, poor job market, and rising cost of living have forced many couples to not have kids and young couples to stay single or delay their marriage.
