China’s lowest marriage rate in 11 years in 2018 adds further obstacle to bid to boost consumer spending

The number of marriages fell 4.6 per cent in 2018, with the trend continuing at the start of 2019, with a 7.7 per cent drop in the first six months of the year

China is seeking to boost spending to aid its ailing economy, but lower birth and marriages rates, coupled with an ageing population, are thwarting efforts

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A typical Chinese wedding involves a large amount of spending, including purchases of expensive items including cars, home appliances and jewellery, as well as related services such as wedding planning, catering and travel. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:15pm, 24 Aug 2019Updated: 8:15pm, 24 Aug 2019

Marriages in China hit an 11-year low last year, posing an additional challenge to efforts to boost consumption, stabilise the economy and tackle the nation’s looming demographic problems.

A total of 10.14 million couples were married in 2018, down 4.6 per cent from the previous year, while the marriage rate dropped to 7.3 per 1,000 from 7.7 per 1,000 last year, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

The trend continued in the first half of 2019, with the number of marriages dropping 7.7 per cent from a year earlier to 4.98 million.

The declining marriage rate, which has fallen steadily from the recent high of 9.9 per cent in 2013 as the younger generation avoids marriage due to financial concerns amid the weakening economy. Combined with a declining birth rate, spell trouble for the world’s most populous nation and second largest economy.

Liang Zhongtang, a senior researcher with the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences and a former government adviser, attributed the drop in the marriage rate to the decline in the size of the younger population as a result of the strict one-child policy, which was in place from the 1970s until the end of 2015, as well as growing pressure on personal finances.