China's Marriage Rate Plummets by Over 20% in 2024, Exacerbating Demographic Challenges

In 2024, marriage registrations in China decreased by 20.5% to 6.1 million couples, the lowest level since 1980. Conversely, divorces increased by 1.1% to 2.6 million couples, despite government initiatives to encourage marriage. The decline in marriages poses a significant issue as 300 million Chinese are set to retire this decade, and 22% of the population is already over 60, potentially exacerbating the nation's demographic challenges and placing additional strain on pension and healthcare systems.