GUANGZHOU -- Traditional payments by Chinese men to their bride's family at the time of marriage have risen sharply, often reaching beyond 140,000 yuan ($19,500), a trend that could accelerate a drop in marriages among young people in China anxious about their future.
Marriage registrations in China fell 18% on the year in the April-to-June quarter to 1.46 million, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs. The figure is the second lowest on record, after 1.39 million for the October-December period in 2022 during the coronavirus pandemic.
