China: Nearly 10% drop in marriage registrations this year
What's the story
China has witnessed a sharp decline in marriage registrations in the first nine months of 2026. The Ministry of Civil Affairs reported that only 4.648 million marriages were registered between January and September, a decrease of 504,000 or 9.8% from the same period last year. The trend is alarming as it comes after a brief recovery in marriage registrations in 2025.
Divorce trend
Alarming trend raises concerns about birth rates
The data also revealed that around 2.08 million couples divorced during this period.
The sharp decline in marriages and the 2.08 million couples divorced have raised concerns about a further drop in births.
China is already grappling with a shrinking population and an aging society, which has been a major concern for the government and policymakers.
Birth decline
Record low birth rate in 2025
China's birth rate has been on a steady decline, hitting a record low in 2025.
The National Bureau of Statistics recorded 7.92 million births in 2025, a steep drop from 9.54 million in 2024.
This translates to a birth rate of just 5.63 per 1,000 people, the lowest since the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949.
Population drop
Population continues to decline
The country's population also continued to decline, falling by 3.39 million to around 1.405 billion in 2025. This marks the fourth consecutive year of population decline for China.
The situation is expected to remain grim as the number of women aged 15-49, who are considered of reproductive age by the United Nations, is likely to decrease by more than two-thirds by century-end.
Policy response
Government measures to encourage marriages and births
In a bid to tackle these challenges, the Chinese government has introduced several measures. These include childcare subsidies, expanded preschool support, and other incentives aimed at encouraging couples to marry and have children.
However, rising living costs and changing attitudes toward marriage and family life continue to pose challenges in reversing the declining trend of marriages and births in China.