China's marriage registrations pick up in 2023

BEIJING, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- Official statistics show that the number of marriage registrations in China rose again in 2023 after dropping for nine consecutive years, as the country is sparing no efforts to address the challenge of an aging population.

According to the recently-published China Statistical Yearbook 2024, China recorded more than 7.68 million marriage registrations in 2023. Approximately 11.94 million Chinese people married for the first time last year, up 13.52 percent from the previous year and marking the first upturn in the country's number of newlyweds since 2014.

One reported analysis says that some of China's newlyweds had postponed earlier marriage plans until 2023 due to COVID-19, which was among the factors behind the rebound in marriage registrations.

The increase in marriage registrations also came as a result of China's consistent efforts to foster a newlywed-friendly society, with localities rolling out different incentive measures.

The eastern Zhejiang Province, for example, extended its paid marriage leave from three to 13 days in September, and the city of Lyuliang in north China's Shanxi Province has introduced a regulation offering a 1,500 yuan (about 211 U.S. dollars) incentive to women who marry at or under the age of 35.

The growth in newlywed numbers is usually regarded as a precondition for helping boost birth rate, according to Huang Wei, an associate professor at the National School of Development, Peking University, who told Xinhua that it may relate to the country's supportive measures.

As one of the world's most populous countries, China is facing profound demographic challenges posed by its rapidly aging population. Official statistics show that nearly 297 million Chinese people were aged 60 or above in 2023, accounting for 21.1 percent of the total population.

To boost its birth rate, China introduced a series of new supportive policies last week, including enhanced childbirth support services, expanded child care systems, and strengthened support in education, housing and employment, aiming to foster a birth-friendly society.

In 2013, China allowed couples to have a second child if either parent is an only child, and in 2016, it allowed married couples to have two children, phasing out its decades-long one-child policy. In 2021, China announced support for couples looking to have a third child.