(Yicai Global) June 27 -- The number of new marriages in China edged up 1.9 percent in the first quarter from the same period last year, in a slight rebound after the marriage rate in 2022 fell to the lowest level since records began, according to the latest figures.

In the first quarter, there were 2.14 million marriages nationwide, an increase of 40,000 from a year ago, according to data recently released by the Ministry of Civil Affairs. While the number of divorces jumped 24.7 percent to 641,000.

Marriages in China have been on the decline for nine consecutive years. Last year, just 6.83 million couples tied the knot, a drop of 13.3 percent from a year earlier, and the lowest number since 1986. This is also almost half the peak of 13.46 million marriages in 2013.

Among the main reasons for the decline is the drop in the number of people of marriageable age, couples getting wed and having children later in life, lifestyle changes and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

More and more young people are deciding to stay single and childless, Dong Yuzheng, a population expert and special researcher with Guangdong’s provincial government, told Yicai Global.

Young people’s view of marriage has changed, as many no longer see it and childbirth as a compulsory step in life, Dong said. Concerns about the durability of marriages and the rise in wedding costs are also discouraging young people.

People are also getting hitched later. The average age of those getting married for the first time in China in 2020 was 28.67 years old, an increase of 3.78 years in age from 2010, according to census data.

A significant decline in the numbers of weddings will also greatly impact the country's birth rate. Some 9.56 million babies were born in China last year, a drop of 10 percent from 2021 and falling below 10 million for the first time since records began in 1950. China’s population contracted by 850,000 people in 2022, the first negative growth in 61 years.

Editor: Kim Taylor