According to official data released by the Chinese Communist Party earlier, in the first three quarters of 2025, there were approximately 5.152 million registered marriages in mainland China, an increase of 405,000 compared to the same period last year. Many interviewees and grassroots workers told Dajiyuan that the increase in registrations does not match the marriage trends among young people. The new registrations are mainly concentrated in the middle-aged and elderly people remarrying, with some individuals being influenced by grassroots organizations such as neighborhood committees for marriage counseling. As of now, the authorities have not released the number of marriage registrations for the fourth quarter of 2025.
Social scholar Huang Baibo, who focuses on family structure issues, stated in an interview that the official data only disclosed the total number of marriage registrations and the year-on-year difference, without revealing the quarterly distribution, age structure, and specific details of whether these 405,000 new pairs were first-time or remarried.
“In terms of absolute numbers, 5.152 million pairs of marriages are still significantly lower than the peak level in 2013 and below the average of the past decade,” he pointed out. Without detailed data on the proportion of first marriages, remarriages, and age distribution, it is difficult to determine if there have been substantial changes in marriage structure.
Huang Baibo believes that the presentation of marriage registration data reflects the statistical and narrative logic of the Communist Party when it comes to social issues. He said, “The officials are more concerned about whether the data looks good, rather than what really happened behind the data.” By simplifying marriage data to just total increases or decreases, while avoiding factors like age groups and the distinction between first marriages and remarriages, they are essentially ignoring the ongoing reality of young people continuing to opt out of marriage.
A grassroots worker in mainland China mentioned that over the past year, there has been a continual decrease in the number of young people registering for marriage. The average age for first-time marriages has generally been delayed, with some regions seeing the age for both men and women getting married for the first time reaching or exceeding 36 years old.
An internet professional working in Suzhou told reporters that despite being in a relationship with his partner for many years, they have not set a wedding date. When asked about the reason for delaying marriage, he explained that it’s not a matter of not wanting to get married but rather being afraid to do so. “With frequent industry adjustments and declining job stability, there’s a lack of long-term income expectations. Once married, housing, living costs, and family responsibilities all increase simultaneously. I can only wait and see if the situation improves,” he said.
On the surface, there has been a temporary increase in the number of marriage registrations in mainland China in 2025. However, many interviewees indicated that this change does not necessarily reflect a significant improvement in young people’s willingness to get married but is more related to the changing age structure of the registrants.
Ms. Wang, a community worker in Haidian District, Beijing, mentioned that in recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in the percentage of middle-aged and elderly people remarrying in marriage registrations. “There are now policies that encourage elderly people to get married, and we also have targets for encouraging remarriage, mobilizing divorced individuals. Some areas even provide subsidies or bonuses to support this, so it appears that the number of registrations has increased, but there aren’t many young people getting married,” she explained.
Ms. Wang pointed out that some middle-aged and elderly people, whose children have started their own families and whose lives are relatively stable, or those incentivized by policies, choose to remarry, which has raised the total number of marriage registrations statistically. However, this change does not align with the marriage choices of the younger generation.
Huang Baibo stated that within the Communist Party system, which prioritizes stability and controllability, marriage is viewed as a social behavior that needs to be “managed” and “guided,” rather than a result of individual choice. “When the system itself cannot address issues such as housing, employment, and expectations, they can only create a semblance of a warming trend through numbers.”
He believes that while this approach may help maintain the official narrative in the short term, in the long run, it will deepen public distrust of the data and further erode the younger generation’s acceptance of the institution of marriage.
Discussions around “whether to get married” and “reasons for refusing marriage” continue to heat up on social media platforms. On platforms like Douyin and Xiaohongshu, many young netizens express their hesitations and detachment towards marriage by sharing personal experiences and emotions. On Douyin, some of the most viewed videos focus on topics like “how much money an average person spends on a wedding” and “real post-wedding bills,” detailing expenses such as rent or mortgage, dowry, wedding costs, and future childcare expenditures. Some creators in the videos express, “After tallying up the bills, the only conclusion is: now is not the right time to get married.”
On Xiaohongshu, users have posted that marriage implies fixed expenses and long-term responsibilities, and in uncertain income and career prospects, remaining single is considered a more secure choice. One user wrote, “Not getting married is not a lack of longing for a family, but a clearer view of reality.” Netizen Huang Yao commented, “You want me to get married? I’ve already lost the will to live, this life is so meaningless, and there’s no light at the end of the tunnel.” Similar sentiments have garnered numerous likes and responses across various platforms.