The number of weddings in China fell more sharply than ever before in 2024. According to Nikkei Asia, 6.1 million Chinese couples tied the knot in 2024. This means that the number of marriages fell by a fifth – despite Chinese authorities’ efforts to encourage the population to have more weddings and children. Overall, the number of weddings has fallen by more than half since 2013, when around 13.5 million people said „I do.“
Yet authorities are getting quite creative: Among other things, universities are supposed to educate their students about love and marriage and foster a positive image of weddings and families. Women who are already married are contacted by their neighborhood committees with questions about family planning. Provincial governments are instructed to provide resources to cope with demographic change in China. The authorities also intervene on social media: Censors delete microdramas containing „misleading perspectives“ on marriage.