Declining marriage rate due to development and urbanization

DATA FROM the National Bureau of Statistics and the Ministry of Civil Affairs show that the marriage rate, the ratio of the annual registered marriages to the total population, has been falling year-on-year, from 0.99 percent in 2013 to 0.77 percent in 2017, and further to 0.72 percent in 2018, a record low since 2013. Liu Yuanju, a researcher with the Shanghai Institute of Finance and Law, comments:

A declining marriage rate should first be attributed to the current age structure of China's population. With the change in its demographic structure and the aging of society, the proportion of people of marriageable age is on the decline, which will inevitably lead to a decrease in its general marriage rate.

Another reason for the declining marriage rate is people are getting married later. According to media reports, the age group of marriage registration in China has increased from 20 to 24 years old in 2013 to 25 to 29 years old, contributing to a declining marriage rate.