China's Worst Low Birthrate Measures... "Let's Make Teenagers Marry"

"Lower Legal Marriage Age to 18" Voices Raised
Online Skeptical Responses Say "Won't Help Much"

There has been a proposal in China to lower the legal marriage age to 18. This measure aims to address the worst-ever low birthrate crisis, but skeptical reactions have emerged online and elsewhere.

According to local media such as Hong Kong Ming Pao, on the 19th, the Hunan Provincial Health Commission stated on its website, "We will actively monitor relevant trends and promptly implement the latest requirements from national related departments." This was a response to a childbirth support policy proposal made on the 11th of last month by Liang Xiangdong, a member of the Hunan Provincial Political Consultative Conference, who suggested lowering the marriageable age.

Currently, in China, men aged 22 and above and women aged 20 and above are legally allowed to marry. The issue of lowering the marriage age was also discussed during the review of the draft of the Marriage and Family section of the 2019 Chinese Civil Code, but it did not lead to an actual legal amendment.

At that time, the Constitutional and Legal Committee stated that "sufficient investigation and research are necessary to change the marriageable age that has become familiar among the people." However, as the birthrate has continued to decline recently, voices calling for change have resurfaced in various places.

Ren Zeping, an economist who has mainly studied population issues, argued earlier this year that "in the current low birthrate situation, it is desirable to lower the legal marriage age to 18 to encourage childbirth."

Newlywed couple having their wedding ceremony in China [Image source=Yonhap News]

He further pointed out, "China's legal marriage age is much higher than the international standard," adding, "This is a problem left by the past slogan to reduce birthrates, which encouraged 'late marriage and late childbirth.'"

According to statistics recently released by the Chinese Population Society, China's total fertility rate in 2022 was 1.09, the lowest level among countries with populations exceeding 100 million.

Moreover, the younger generation's perception of marriage itself has changed compared to older generations. According to a report jointly released earlier this year by various organizations including the China Family Planning Association and China Youth Network, young people in China do not consider marriage an essential part of life.

In 2021, the number of first-time marriages in China was 11.578 million, marking the first time in 36 years since 1985 that the number fell below 12 million. Consequently, the birthrate also declined, reaching its lowest point since 1949 last year.

China implemented the one-child policy from the 1980s, then fully allowed the two-child policy in 2016, and introduced a three-child policy per family in May 2021. However, as living and education costs rose, avoidance of marriage and childbirth deepened, and despite various incentives, the birthrate continued to decline.

However, the proposal to lower the marriage age reportedly has not received much support. According to a survey by the Chinese media Sanlian Life Weekly, only 11% of respondents supported such a measure.

On the other hand, nearly 50% opposed it, expressing concerns that "if the marriageable age is too low, people may not be cautious enough when deciding to marry."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.