Cash for Cupid: why rural China's marriage market needs more than incentives

Amidst declining marriage rates in China, many villages in the country have initiated reward programs for matchmakers, aiming to address difficulties faced by young rural men in finding partners. However, media and experts argue that economic underdevelopment and demographic imbalances are more fundamental issues impacting marriage challenges.

Figures from the National Bureau of Statistics show that China's marriage rate peaked in 2013 at 9.9 newly married couples for every 1,000 people. The rate has since continuously declined, reaching 4.8 in 2022.

Recently, three Guangdong villages — Tiedong village in Heyuan, Qingfu village in Maoming, and Lingtou village in Zhanjiang — announced that the village committees would reward matchmakers who introduce unmarried men to potential spouses, leading to successful marriages, with a fee ranging from 600 yuan to 1,000 yuan ($84 to $139) per successful match.

Prior to these initiatives, other regions in Shaanxi and Henan provinces also rolled out similar measures. In Baoji's Xiangjiazhuang village in Shaanxi, matchmakers have been rewarded with 1,000 yuan for each successful marriage since the beginning of this year.

In Langao county, Shaanxi, a professional matchmaker service team was established last year, also offering a reward of 1,000 yuan for each successful match. Hu Yizhen, a matchmaker from the team, said, "The county issued a matchmaker certificate to me, which is considered official recognition. I enjoy making and sharing videos on Douyin (one of the most popular short video platforms in China). People even commented that if they can't find a spouse, they will come to me."

Qiaozhuang village in Wuzhi, Henan, also formed a team of matchmakers last year. The village allocated 20,000 yuan annually as a reward for matchmakers. However, local media outlets and experts have questioned whether such reward measures for matchmaking would be effective, highlighting economic factors and gender imbalance in the population as the primary causes of the marriage issue.

Yao Huasong, a sociology professor at Guangzhou University, said that efforts must be made to develop the rural economy to resolve the challenges faced by rural young men. This includes accelerating rural industrialization, improving working and living conditions in villages, and ensuring that job opportunities are readily available. This approach will retain both men and women in rural areas, attract men and women from outside, and thus improve and balance the gender ratio of rural residents, he said.

The agricultural and rural affairs bureau of Lincheng county in Hebei province said in October that young women from rural areas moving and marrying into cities are leading to a severe gender imbalance in rural areas. The bureau said it plans to improve rural economic conditions and cultivate pillar industries in rural areas, ultimately reducing the number of young people leaving for work and achieving a balanced gender ratio in rural areas.

Similarly, in July last year, the women's federation of Qichun county in Hubei province said that they are encouraging older unmarried men in rural areas to start businesses, supporting them in developing projects that make effective use of local resources. Additionally, targeted training is provided to improve the skills of older single people.