A new report has indicated that the number of new marriages in China hit a historic low in 2022.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs said in its latest report that 6.83 million Chinese couples registered their marriages in 2022, a decline by close to 800,000 from the previous year.
The new figure is the lowest to have been ever been recorded in a single year in China, Reuters reports.
Low birthrate
Besides the reducing number of new couples, the birthrate in China has also declined significantly.
In 2022, the Asian nation’s population fell for the first time in nearly 60 years, with 6.77 births registered per 1,000 people.
Prior to that, the lowest birthrate had been recorded in 2021 (7.52 in every 1,000 people).
Experts in population and economy warn that the country could face a workforce crisis if the falling birthrate doesn’t self-correct soon.
There are also fears that the government could be forced to spend more resources on the elderly population.
Child policy
To encourage marriage and boost the country's declining birth rate, China said last month it would launch pilot projects in more than 20 cities to create a "new-era" marriage and childbearing culture.
Between 1979 and 2015, the country had a one-child per couple policy to regulate population growth. In 2016, China reviewed the policy to two children per family, and the number was reviewed upwards again in 2021, when the government okayed three children per couple.
