the country is regaining the taste for marriage, and this is good news for the economy

While there isn’t much good news in the world at the moment, in China the number of marriages is on the rise again. A boon for the second largest economic power in the world.

For nine years the number of marriages has been falling each year. For nine years the authorities have been desperately trying to convince young people to put the ring on their fingers. In 2022, just after Covid and its confinements, which did not really encourage romantic encounters, the number of unions had even reached its historic low.

But between 2022 and 2023, the number of couples having married jumped by 12.4%, according to official data from the Ministry of Civil Status. There were a total of 7.7 million unions across the country.

Subsidies and dowry supervision

In China, births outside of marriage are very rare. So when the number of unions falls, the birth rate also falls, and the population ages. In the next 10 years, approximately 300 million Chinese will retire, almost the equivalent of the American population. This data weighs on the health system, on the workforce… In summary, this slows down the growth of the world’s second largest economy. Fewer children means population decline. In 2022 and even in 2023, for the first time in 60 years, the country lost inhabitants.

Since the end of the one-child rule in 2015, the government has continued to promote marriage, with very concrete measures. In 2021, it relaxed the limit to allow couples to have up to three children. And for young people, newlyweds are entitled to a helping hand in the form of a subsidy. In some regions, if the bride is under 26, the couple is entitled to an additional bonus of 1,000 yuan (130 euros).

Since February 1, 2024, new regulations have reduced the practice of dowry which still exists and which can discourage certain families due to its high amount.

In March, the Prime Minister also committed to reducing the cost of childbirth and improving the conditions of parental leave.

The influence of the signs of the Zodiac

But in China, as elsewhere, mentalities are changing and marriage is no longer necessarily a dream. This is also why parliament has just proposed a law to authorize single women to freeze their eggs. We are still far from the adoption of the text, but it is a sign that society is adapting. Having children without marriage is no longer necessarily inconceivable.

Another factor not to be overlooked: the signs of the zodiac! They will perhaps come to the aid of the government and help increase the fertility rate. Since February 10, we have entered the year of the dragon, a very favorable sign. With or without marriage, since February 10 according to Chinese media, there have been more babies than usual in hospitals.