OfficialstatisticsshowthatthenumberofmarriageregistrationsinChinaroseagainin2023afterdroppingfornineconsecutiveyears,asthecountryissparingnoeffortstoaddressthechallengeofanagingpopulation.
Accordingtotherecently-publishedChinaStatisticalYearbook2024,Chinarecordedmorethan7.68millionmarriageregistrationsin2023.Approximately11.94millionChinesepeoplemarriedforthefirsttimelastyear,up13.52percentfromthepreviousyearandmarkingthefirstupturninthecountry'snumberofnewlywedssince2014.
OnereportedanalysissaysthatsomeofChina'snewlywedshadpostponedearliermarriageplansuntil2023duetoCOVID-19,whichwasamongthefactorsbehindthereboundinmarriageregistrations.
TheincreaseinmarriageregistrationsalsocameasaresultofChina'sconsistenteffortstofosteranewlywed-friendlysociety,withlocalitiesrollingoutdifferentincentivemeasures.
TheeasternZhejiangProvince,forexample,extendeditspaidmarriageleavefromthreeto13daysinSeptember,andthecityofLyulianginnorthChina'sShanxiProvincehasintroducedaregulationofferinga1,500yuan(about211U.S.dollars)incentivetowomenwhomarryatorundertheageof35.
Thegrowthinnewlywednumbersisusuallyregardedasapreconditionforhelpingboostbirthrate,accordingtoHuangWei,anassociateprofessorattheNationalSchoolofDevelopment,PekingUniversity,whotoldXinhuathatitmayrelatetothecountry'ssupportivemeasures.
Asoneoftheworld'smostpopulouscountries,Chinaisfacingprofounddemographicchallengesposedbyitsrapidlyagingpopulation.Officialstatisticsshowthatnearly297millionChinesepeoplewereaged60orabovein2023,accountingfor21.1percentofthetotalpopulation.
Toboostitsbirthrate,Chinaintroducedaseriesofnewsupportivepolicieslastweek,includingenhancedchildbirthsupportservices,expandedchildcaresystems,andstrengthenedsupportineducation,housingandemployment,aimingtofosterabirth-friendlysociety.
In2013,Chinaallowedcouplestohaveasecondchildifeitherparentisanonlychild,andin2016,itallowedmarriedcouplestohavetwochildren,phasingoutitsdecades-longone-childpolicy.In2021,Chinaannouncedsupportforcoupleslookingtohaveathirdchild.