Headline : Marriage Registrations Fall and Women Shun Motherhood

Read more from the original article on here at chinadigitaltimes.net.

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China’s State Council unveiled new policies last week intended to promote parenthood and foster a more “reproduction-friendly society,” which were met with muted skepticism. Along with other media pieces on the subject, subsequent news underlined just how far away Chinese citizens are from supporting the government’s goal. For example, the Ministry of Civil Affairs recently released data showing that marriage registrations for the first nine months of 2024 dropped to a record low since 1980. Nectar Gan at CNN provided more context on the figures and their relation to falling birthrates:

The government has rolled out a variety of measures to promote marriage and childbearing in order to reverse demographic trends. As Caixin reported, over 30 Chinese cities have provided subsidies and other incentives for childbearing. The Global Times highlighted one of these cities this week, Lüliang in Shanxi Province: “One key initiative is the establishment of a database for unmarried people, which will provide targeted and personalized marriage services through both online and offline channels. Efforts will also be made to guide young people in developing a positive perspective on marriage, family, and childbirth.” Luna Sun from the South China Morning Post described the system of cash rewards to promote marriage in Lüliang and two other cities:

Other recent reports provide clues as to why fewer Chinese women are marrying and having children. A survey of households by the National Bureau of Statistics found that women’s unpaid labor time is 1.9 times greater than men’s, and that more women than men participate in unpaid labor, revealing inequalities of labor in marriage. Another study that went viral last month showed that, in stark contrast to previous generations, Chinese women born after 1990 have on average a higher education level than their husbands, which has made them less likely to have more than one child. Reporting on a recent white paper by a pet industry association, Nikkei Asia stated, “Around 75 million urbanites had a dog or cat in 2023, up 30% from 2018,” with “[n]early 60% of these pet owners […] born in the 1990s or later.” The article states that these figures are in large part due to China’s declining birth rate and cites a Goldman Sachs prediction that in 2030 China will have twice as many pets in cities as children aged four and under.

On Xiaohongshu, women have shared stories about government officials calling them to ask if they are pregnant and at times demanding they focus on raising children instead of pets. Many women described these as unwanted and insensitive encounters. Highlighting the disconnect between government policy and women’s desires, Shen Lu at The Wall Street Journal described how “some women say trauma of [the] one-child policy shattered their sense of family” and their desire for motherhood: 

Read more from the original article on here at chinadigitaltimes.net.

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