The number of marriage in China’s major cities is steadily declining. Last year, six million couples married, which is the lowest figure since 1978, and a decrease of 20 percent compared to 2023.
This can depend on both the high costs of having children and that young people who have grown up during China’s one -child policy have a more individualistic view of life. China also has high youth unemployment and many have negative expectations of their own finances.
Old age homes for young people
Chinese social media has many stories about so -called “old age homes” for young people, and various types of collective forms of housing. Yue XI left his job as a game developer in Guangzhou last year and moved to Dali to start a collective accommodation:
– It’s a new kind of life in our opinion. You may think it’s a bit like an old age home. But we think it is a more human way of life, he says.
At the same time as fewer Chinese have children, the Chinese population continues to age. If the trend continues at the current rate, China will have a population pyramid that looks like a fungus, ie with a large part of the population over retirement age and a minor part of working age. 2024 was the third year in a row that the Chinese population decreased.
Political programs
This is a problem for the Chinese economy, as the number of people who work – and consumes – decreases, while the number of elderly people is increasing. It is expected to entail large costs.
The Communist Party that governs China has launched several political programs to influence the negative population trend. Married couples, among other things, have access to favorable loans, leave, tax relief and cash grants to raise children.
Many provinces have programs to help people find partners, usually focused on single men. There are also suggestions to include marriage and relationship knowledge in teaching at Chinese universities.
However, these measures are not enough to attract everyone.
“Just now freedom is the most important thing for me,” says Qiao Ye, who has moved into a joint accommodation in Dali in western China.
Hear more about Qiao yes thoughts in the clip.