Mainland's soaring divorce rate spurs speculation on causes
Mainland abuzz with theories that money rows due to high flat costs are causing break-ups
Experts have blamed the mainland's soaring divorce rate on everything from a more open society to a more prosperous economy. But another potential cause has caught the public's imagination - sky-high home prices.
The state-run media and internet forums have been buzzing with theories and statistics attempting to tie the increase in failed marriages to the rising cost of housing on the mainland.
The logic holds that higher property prices devour more of a couple's disposable income, causing more squabbles, according to a report on the theory in the of Jiangsu .
Sociologists and marriage experts are sceptical. They say there is no clear link between the two trends, even if the pressure to purchase a home does play a role in many marital woes.
"There are various causes for divorce," said Wu Changzhen , a marriage law professor at the Chinese University of Political Science and Law. "A couple engaging in frequent quarrels over housing issues does not have a firm standing love."
Wu said the real problem was that people no longer regarded a divorce as exceptional and were too casual about marriage.
But the theory's popularity may nonetheless highlight a growing sense of anxiety among young mainlanders as they attempt to meet traditional societal expectations despite the fast-rising cost of living.
