Problems caused by late marriage call for effective, targeted policies

Altogether 7.643 million couples registered for marriage in 2021, down 6.1 percent from the year before, according to a statistical bulletin released by the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Media reports also show that the proportion of people aged 30 to 34 and 35 to 39 who are married has hit new highs in recent years. Those aged 30 or above in China now account for 48.2 percent of the total people registering for marriage, up 1.7 percentage points from the year before.

Behind the rising marriage age are some challenges young people are facing, such as the high cost of housing and raising children, especially in the big cities. Some young people see marriage as the start of a declining quality of life, because of the huge economic pressures. They therefore think it is better to postpone marriage until they are in a better financial position.