China first‑half marriages fall as divorces rise, lifting ratio to 42. 2%
On 13th August 2026 in Beijing, China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs reported 3. 275 million marriage registrations and 1. 383 million divorces in the first half, a year‑on‑year slide in marriages and an increase in divorces that push the divorce‑to‑marriage ratio to 42. 2 per cent.
13th August 2026 – (Beijing) China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs announced second‑quarter statistics showing that 3. 275 million couples registered marriages nationwide in the first half of 2026, while 1. 383 million couples registered divorces. Compared with the same period last year, marriages declined by 264,000 pairs, or 7. 46 per cent, as divorces rose by 52,000 pairs, or 3. 91 per cent, taking the divorce‑to‑marriage ratio to 42. 2 per cent—meaning close to one couple divorces for roughly every two couples who marry. The downtrend was already evident in the first quarter. Data released in May recorded 1. 697 million marriages in January to March, a year‑on‑year drop of 113,000, or 6. 24 per cent. Despite the first quarter traditionally being a busier wedding period around Lunar New Year, this year’s level was only about half that of 2017 and even below the 2. 79 million seen in the first quarter of 2020 at the onset of the pandemic, marking the lowest comparable first‑quarter tally since national quarterly data became available in 2013. Marriage registrations have generally fallen since peaking at 13. 469 million in 2013. They slipped below 10 million in 2019, under 8 million in 2021, and down to 6. 835 million in 2022. A pandemic‑related rebound lifted registrations to 7. 68 million in 2023, but they dropped to 6. 106 million in 2024, the lowest since records began in 1980. The total recovered to 6. 763 million in 2025, up 10. 76 per cent year on year, briefly raising hopes of stabilisation; however, the latest half‑year figures suggest that rebound has not continued. Analysts commonly cite structural and economic pressures behind weaker marriage intent, including a shrinking cohort at typical marrying ages, long‑hours work culture, high housing costs, and the perceived burden of childcare and education, alongside weaker confidence in jobs and income growth. China’s birth rate has also fallen to historic lows and the national population has declined for a fourth consecutive year, trends that demographers view with concern. Authorities have rolled out measures to encourage marriage and childbirth, such as family subsidies, childcare support and reduced medical costs related to maternity, though results remain limited. From 10th May, revisions to the Marriage Registration Regulations removed locality restrictions, allowing couples to register anywhere nationwide without presenting a household registration booklet, easing procedures for those living or working away from their home towns. Several local governments have introduced cash incentives such as “newlywed red packets”, while initiatives like the Hexi District Civil Affairs Bureau in Tianjin offering marriage registration services inside bank branches aim to improve convenience. Online reaction has been mixed, with critics arguing such steps do not address the deeper economic factors discouraging young people from marrying.