Recent data from China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs has shown a significant decline in marriage registrations across the country, marking a concerning trend for the nation. Official statistics released indicate that from January to September this year, a total of 4.648 million couples registered their marriages. This figure represents a decrease of 504,000 couples—approximately 9.78%—compared to the same period last year, when there were 5.152 million registrations. This is the lowest number of marriage registrations recorded since quarterly statistics began in 2008.
In contrast to the decline in marriage registrations, divorce registrations have seen a slight increase this year. There were 2.082 million divorce registrations in the same timeframe, which is an increase of 5,000 compared to the previous year.
Looking more closely at the quarterly trends, the data reveals that the decline in marriage registrations has worsened over the course of the year. In the first quarter, there were 1.697 million registrations, reflecting a 6.2% decrease from the previous year. The second quarter saw a further decline to 1.578 million registrations, marking an 8.7% decrease. By the third quarter, the numbers plummeted to 1.373 million, where the drop reached a staggering 14.9%. This figure for the third quarter stands as the second lowest since records began, surpassed only by the 1.317 million registrations in the same quarter of 2024.
Historically, marriage registrations in China peaked in 2013, with 9.768 million registrations in the first three quarters. Comparing this to the current year’s figures illustrates a staggering drop of over 52.4%, highlighting a major shift in societal attitudes toward marriage.
In prior years, particularly in 2024, the number of marriage registrations had fallen to a low point. However, in 2025, certain policy adjustments and a trend toward concentrated registrations among new couples led to a rebound, with the total number of registrations climbing to 6.765 million, representing a year-on-year increase of about 10.8%. Unfortunately, this recovery proved short-lived, as the current year has seen a return to declining figures.
In response to these trends, the Chinese government has implemented various policies aiming to encourage marriage and childbearing. Notably, starting May 10, 2025, a revised Marriage Registration Regulation was put into effect, removing regional restrictions on marriage registration. Couples are no longer required to return to their registered household locations for the process, nor do they need to present a household registration book, thus facilitating nationwide marriage registrations.
Additionally, local governments have introduced incentives such as marriage subsidies, extended marriage leave, maternity consumption vouchers, and housing benefits, all intended to lower the financial burdens associated with marriage and childbearing for younger generations.
Despite the transient increase in marriage registrations in 2025, the numbers have once again sharply declined in the first three quarters of 2026, underscoring that measures intended to simplify the marriage registration process have not led to sustained growth in registration numbers.
On November 5, discussions surrounding the significant drop of 504,000 marriage registrations made headlines on Weibo, with topics such as “Marriage Registrations Decrease of 504,000” and “Marriage Registrations at Historic Lows” trending on the platform.
A social commentator known as “Duanglang Comments” remarked on social media, stating, “The gap of 504,000 couples is a reality check from the youth on marriage. Relying on a few hundred yuan in subsidies and creating landmark registration spots will not increase the marriage rate. Without clarifying rights and responsibilities from a legal standpoint and alleviating the real burdens on young people, no amount of encouragement for marriage and childbirth will stop the declining registration numbers. Ultimately, it’s not that 504,000 young people don’t want to love, but that they simply cannot afford the additional pressures of life.”
Psychological consultant and expert Liu Aimin expressed similar sentiments in a social media post, noting the undeniable fact that fewer young people are choosing to marry. According to Liu, “The data from the Ministry of Civil Affairs shows that from January to September 2026, there were 4.648 million marriage registrations, down by 504,000 from the same period last year, a decrease of 9.78%.”
Liu further emphasized the stark structural changes in the quarterly data: “In the first quarter, there was a decrease of 6.2%, in the second quarter it was 8.7%, and by the third quarter, it had escalated to an alarming 14.9%. The third quarter alone accounted for a loss of 240,000 couples, nearly half of the total decline. Meanwhile, divorce registrations remained relatively unchanged at 2.082 million, nearly the same as last year’s 2.077 million. This stark contrast between falling marriage rates and stable divorce rates warrants deeper consideration.”
He cited data showing that the first three quarters of 2026 reflect the lowest marriage registration numbers since 2008, representing a decline of 5.12 million compared to the same period in 2013.
Liu concluded, “When it comes to marriage, young people are not hesitating; they are voting with their actions. The reasons for their choices can be debated, but the data speaks for itself. Whether efforts to boost childbirth or stabilize households are successful depends on first acknowledging and addressing this downward trend.”