Marriages in China post biggest drop in decades amid pandemic

Rising costs and a gender imbalance keep couples from tying the knot

20210420 China marriage

In China, incomes are not growing like they once did, throwing an additional hurdle in front of couples thinking about marriage. © AP

IORI KAWATE, Nikkei staff writer

BEIJING -- The number of marriages in China has been on a seven-year decline and there is no sign of a pickup on the horizon.

According to China's Ministry of Civil Affairs, 8.13 million couples registered their marriages in 2020, down 12% and the seventh consecutive year of decline. The figure also represents a 40% fall from the 2013 peak.

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