China Records Weakest First-Quarter Marriage Numbers Since Pandemic

(MENAFN) Marriage registrations in China have dropped to their lowest level for a first quarter since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting ongoing demographic pressures in the country.

According to data from China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs released on Saturday, 1.697 million couples registered marriages between January and March 2026, a decline of 6.24% compared with the same period last year.

The figure represents the weakest first-quarter performance since 2020, when strict lockdown measures during the pandemic reduced registrations to 1.557 million couples.

The January–March period is normally one of the busiest marriage seasons in China, driven by family reunions and celebrations during the Lunar New Year holiday.

Despite government efforts to encourage marriage—including allowing nationwide registration outside a couple’s hometown, extending marriage leave, and introducing financial incentives—the downward trend has continued.

At the same time, divorce registrations also fell slightly, decreasing by 1.27% year-on-year to 622,000 cases in the same period.

Marriage statistics are closely watched in China as they are seen as an early indicator of future birth rates, especially since births outside marriage remain uncommon.

The decline comes amid broader demographic concerns, including population shrinkage for four consecutive years, falling birth rates, and an ageing society that is expected to strain labor markets and public welfare systems.

Official figures also show that China’s population dropped by 3.39 million last year to about 1.4049 billion, marking the sharpest annual decline outside the famine period between 1959 and 1961.

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