Intro LO:
The most important quote might be in the 5th paragraph below:
“He noted that the number of marriages in China last year was less than half of the 13.47 million in 2013.” Note: bold & italic markings by LO.
Source: Reuters, 10 February 2025, Marriages in China plunge by a record in 2024, fanning birthrate concerns
Hence, China may not have enough soldiers for its future military conflicts (eg, India, Taiwan, USA) due to its demographic crisis. The Russian solution in its Ukraine invasion (eg, North Korean soldiers) might be tempting for China.
I suppose that China would fear – and delay – such a much revealing solution. Losing “face“ is devastating in Chinese society (eg, source). Also see my 2022 blog: The Chinese implosion – a 2022 update (3).
Is there any solution? Actually, I doubt it because many – if not most – countries / nations are in a (more or less) similar situation.
Welcome to global population decline ! Please forget about population growth.
Reuters: Marriages in China plunge by a record in 2024, fanning birthrate concerns
By: Farah Master
Date: 10 February 2025
“HONG KONG, Feb 10 (Reuters) – Marriages in China plummeted by a fifth last year, the biggest drop on record, despite manifold efforts by authorities to encourage young couples to wed and have children to boost the country’s declining population.
Declining interest in getting married and starting a family has long been blamed on the high cost of childcare and education in China. On top of that, sputtering economic growth over the past few years has made it difficult for university graduates to find work and those that do have jobs feel insecure about their long-term prospects.
More than 6.1 million couples registered for marriage last year, down from 7.68 million a year earlier, figures from the Ministry of Civil Affairs showed.
“Unprecedented! Even in 2020, due to Covid-2019, marriages only decreased by 12.2%,” said Yi Fuxian, a demographer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
He noted that the number of marriages in China last year was less than half of the 13.47 million in 2013.
If this trend continues, “the Chinese government’s political and economic ambitions will be ruined by its demographic Achilles’ heel,” he added.
For Chinese authorities, boosting interest in marriage and baby-making is a pressing concern.
China has the second-biggest population in the world at 1.4 billion – one that is aging quickly.
The birth rate fell for decades due to China’s 1980-2015 one-child policy and rapid urbanisation. And in the coming decade, roughly 300 million Chinese – the equivalent of almost the entire U.S. population – are expected to enter retirement.
Measures taken last year by authorities to tackle the problem included urging China’s colleges and universities to provide “love education” to emphasize positive views on marriage, love, fertility and family.
In November, China’s state council or cabinet, also told local governments to direct resources towards fixing China’s population crisis and spread respect for childbearing and marriages “at the right age.”
Last year saw a slight rise in births after a lull due to the pandemic and because 2024 was the Chinese zodiac year of the dragon – with children born that year considered likely to be ambitious and have great fortune.
But even with the increase in births, the country’s population fell for a third consecutive year.
The data also showed that more than 2.6 million couples filed for divorce last year, up 1.1% from 2023.”
“Farah Master is a Senior Correspondent at Reuters where she focuses on health, demographics and the environment in China. She has worked for Reuters in London, Beijing and Shanghai before moving to Hong Kong in 2013. With a background spanning reporting in markets, companies, sports, political and general news, and economics, she was also part of a team named as a Pulitzer finalist in 2020 for investigative reports on the revolt of Hong Kong. Farah speaks English, Mandarin and Spanish. She has a Masters in Development Studies from the London School of Economics.”
Sources:
- Reuters, 10 February 2025: Marriages in China plunge by a record in 2024, fanning birthrate concerns
- SCMP, 10 February 2025: China’s birth crisis deepens as marriage registrations plunge to 40-year low
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