China’s marriage rate drops to lowest level in almost two decades

Beijing has in recent years rolled out a series of measures aimed at increasing marriage rates and childbearing, while fertility rates for the country as a whole continue to plummet. China’s marriage rate fell to its lowest level in almost two decades, adding to worries about the country’s demographic crisis. Data this week showed 4.65 million couples tied the knot from January through September, while 2.08 million couples got divorced. Beijing has in recent years rolled out a series of measures aimed at increasing marriage rates and childbearing. But while some regions have seen results from such policies, fertility rates for the country as a whole continue to plummet, with women on average having fewer children than even during the era of the one-child policy. The demographic shift will have huge fiscal consequences for decades to come, with one prominent China academic urging Beijing to “formulate forward-looking plans for immigration.”