China's youths choosing to remain unmarried for life, the single population nears 400 mln

A recent survey report has revealed that the population of unmarried people over the age of 30 is increasing in China. The report said that youths are now choosing to stay single in cities, while many young men in rural areas are eliminated from the marriage market, according to Sina Weibo, a Chinese microblogging website. Notably, this is the first time in six decades, in 2022, that China's population is shrinking.

The population in China has come down from last year's count by around 8,50,000 people as recorded to 1.411 billion in the year 2022, as per China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). According to data surveyed in late January last month, the number of unmarried youths above the age of 30 is increasing among men and women. The survey conducted by Wuhan University covered 425 cities, counties, and districts in China’s 34 provincial-level administrative regions.

Why China's youths are choosing to remain single for life? Know how it is affecting the nation

The report also showed the lifestyle and cultural differences between the urban and rural populations of China as people living in the urban community marry late whereas people in the rural society face lifelong singleness. According to Sina Weibo, a large number of men and women are unmarried due to active choices, and the ideology that being single is also a good which is slowly spreading in urban and rural societies.

Meanwhile, in rural areas, a large number of unmarried young men over 30 have already been eliminated from the marriage market and are likely to face the risk of never marrying for life, the report said. While in the county towns, a considerable number of women are willing to marry but are not able to find the right match.

Despite the fact that China's total population is expected to reach 400 million, in the coming years, China's marriage rate has come down to decline. The marriage situation of rural youths has attracted the attention of public opinion, and the issue of "difficulty for older rural men and youths to get married" has aroused heated discussions. According to the information shared by the Ministry of Civil Affairs of China, the single adult population in China reached 240 million in 2018. The number of marriage registrations in 2021 was only 7.636 million, a new low since 1986.

Divorce rate soars up in China

As the marriage rate has declined in China, it has come to light that the divorce rate has increased. In an attempt to reduce the divorce rate, the government introduced a regulation last year that forces couples who want to break up to go through a 30-day "calm down period" before a final divorce. Falling marriage rates have led to a decrease in childbirth rates as well, which is a sign of growing concern in a rapidly aging Chinese society. Many young Chinese say they would choose to stay single as jobs are getting harder to find, competition is fiercer, and the cost of living is getting out of hand.

Even if youth get married, they prefer not to have children, and the reason is that they are worried about the rising cost of education and the fact that there will be a burden on life if there are seniors and younger ones. In wake of the situation, the Chinese government has for years introduced policies to encourage marriage and having children.