China Forecasts Decline in Births This Year... Marriages from January to September Last Year Down 16.6%

According to a report by the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 25th, the number of births in China is expected to decline again this year.

According to the report, last year, the number of births in China increased by 520,000 from the previous year to 9.54 million, marking the first increase since 2017. Experts attributed the rebound to an increase in marriages two years ago and the fact that last year was the Year of the Blue Dragon. According to a superstition in China, giving birth in the Year of the Blue Dragon is considered auspicious, leading to a so-called "Dragon Baby Boom."

Some have speculated that the Chinese government's birth promotion policies have been effective, but experts argue that the broad trend of population decline is unlikely to be reversed.

Although annual statistics have not yet been released, the number of marriage registrations in China last year is expected to be the lowest since 1980. From January to September last year, 4.75 million couples got married, a 16.6% decrease compared to the same period the previous year. Two years ago, the number of marriage registrations increased for the first time in about 10 years, reaching 7.68 million.

Independent demographer Heo Yapu said, "The number of marriage registrations this year could drop to 6 million," adding, "The main factors are the decline in women of childbearing age, changes in attitudes toward marriage and child-rearing, and an increase in individuals choosing not to marry or have children."

Yonhap News

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