A study by the Chinese Academy of Sciences has found that more than half of surveyed university students believe marriage and childbearing are not important, with over 80% of female university students surveyed indicating willingness to marry but not have children.
The report on the mental health development of the Chinese population, jointly released by the Institute of Psychology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Social Science Literature Publishing House, as reported by financial media and Caixin, revealed insights from the “2024 Survey on Marriage and Childbearing Attitudes Among Adults and University Students”. The survey, conducted from March to June last year, covered 55,781 university students aged 16 to 30 in 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities.
The findings showed that young adults aged 18 to 24, especially university students, generally exhibit a lower willingness towards love, marriage, and childbearing. Among surveyed university students, 51.8% consider marriage unimportant, and 59.4% believe having children is not a priority.
The study also examined the attitudes of university students towards love, marriage, and childbearing. Results indicated a decreasing importance placed on love, marriage, and having children among surveyed university students, with over 50% expressing that marriage and childbearing are not significant. Moreover, more than 80% are open to marriage without intending to have children.
In recent years in mainland China, a series of crises ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic to the economic decoupling between China and the United States, as well as tight local finances, have led to a large number of business closures, job losses, and a decrease in people’s incomes. High living costs and a lack of hope for the future have deterred young people from starting families, contributing to the continuous decline in China’s birth rate.
On May 30, a survey report released by Tencent News’ “Grain Rain Data” revealed that over 70% of surveyed university students have monthly living expenses ranging from 1000 to 2000 yuan, with less than 20% spending over 2500 yuan in first-tier and emerging cities. The report highlighted that with rising prices and increasing consumption costs, 1500 yuan is no longer sufficient to sustain a basic lifestyle.
The “Grain Rain Data” report also indicated that university students allocate most of their expenses towards food, daily necessities, social entertainment, hobby development, and study materials, with food expenses accounting for nearly 50%. Additionally, costs for utilities, transportation, and communication have been steadily rising, leading to an overall increased financial burden on students.
According to a research report on Chinese university students’ consumption behaviors by iResearch, 51.4% of students spend between 1000 to 2000 yuan per semester on social entertainment.
In this context, Premier Li Keqiang of the State Council proposed measures to promote childbirth in this year’s government work report. Despite intensified efforts by various local governments, including incentives for childbearing, extended marriage and maternity leave, young people remain skeptical of these policies.
A 28-year-old single worker, Xiao Qin, expressed to Radio Free Asia that the marriage and childbearing subsidies introduced by local governments are merely superficial gestures and fail to address the challenges young people face due to high living costs and housing affordability issues.
Xiao Qin explained, “The reason why people are not willing to get married is primarily due to the high cost of living. In Beijing, for example, earning 10,000 yuan is considered a relatively high income, but for non-local residents, with this salary, it will take forever to afford a house. If you have a child after marriage, think about how much money is needed for their monthly milk powder, it’s a significant expense.”
In addition to economic pressure, Xiao Qin also pointed out that the living environment in China has made it difficult for them to envision a hopeful future. He described living in China as being akin to “living in a big prison”, noting that he and his friends are not happy with their lives, which is why they see no reason to have children and do not want the next generation to repeat their struggles.