China's marriages drop to decade low, deepening demographic concerns

Marriage registrations in China dropped sharply in the first quarter to their lowest level in a decade, underscoring mounting demographic pressures. The decline adds to concerns over falling birth rates and a shrinking population despite government efforts to encourage family formation.

Reuters

11 May 2026 at 09:45:54

FILE PHOTO: Newlywed couples pose for pictures at the Huguo Guanyin Temple, an outdoor marriage registration site in Beijing, China, October 28, 2025.

Tingshu Wang/Reuters

Marriage registrations in China fell 6.2% year on year in the first quarter and are about half 2017 levels, official data show, underscoring the demographic strain in a country where childbearing remains closely tied to marriage.

China recorded 1.697 million marriage registrations in the quarter, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said on Saturday.

The figures are the latest sign of China's deepening demographic challenges.

China's population fell for a fourth consecutive year in 2025, while its birth rate dropped to a record low, prompting warnings from demographers of further decline.

Couples in China have traditionally had children after marriage, reflecting both cultural norms and administrative rules that have in some cases linked birth registration or access to benefits to a marriage certificate.

Authorities have rolled out a range of measures to encourage marriage and childbearing, including family subsidies, childcare support and efforts to reduce childbirth-related medical costs.

-Reporting by Farah Master and the Beijing newsroom. Editing by Mark Potter/Reuters