China is witnessing fewer people tie the knot over the past few years, especially since the Outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A decline in the number of people of marriageable age is one of the reasons behind falling marriage registrations and marriage rate in China. Delayed marriage is another driver of the decline in the marriage rate. From 2010 to 2020, the average age for Chinese women's first marriage rose from 24 to 27.95, up almost four years in 10 years.
From 2000 to 2020, the number of Chinese women who received higher education rose from 16.87 million to 154.6 million. Women who receive higher education tend to delay plans to marry and raise a family. They are less financially dependent on their partners and have higher expectation of the quality of marriage and their partners. This makes them marry later in life, consequently raising the proportion of unmarried Chinese women. Moreover, fierce competition in the job market has made the younger generation put off marriage until they are older, if not give up the idea.
The Chinese government is paying growing attention to the phenomenon of delayed marriages and the declining marriage rate.
A. There are some reasons for this phenomenon.
B. It has taken some measures to address these issues.
C. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed some people's attitude to marriage.
D. Looking ahead, the Chinese society will embrace all sorts of arrangements concerning marriage.
E. Also, as their incomes rise and awareness grows, Chinese women change their perspective about marriage and family life. F. Better opportunities for women to receive higher education and work have made them delay plans to marry and raise a family.
G. From 1980 to 1989, the average annual birth stood at 22.09 million persons while from 1990 to 1999, the figure declined to 20.85 million.
