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> annual marriages declining by 40% from their peak in 2013 Does anyone known what is the cause of this?

adventured 5y ago
Articles started commonly appearing ~6-8 years ago about that topic re China. The explanation most of them gave, from interviewing people in China that were actively making decisions about marriage, had to do with financial challenges in terms of affording it. The people being interviewed usually would talk about marriage being a formula, involving a certain financial context, and that they were putting off getting married because they had other financial obligations (liabilities or otherwise) that needed to come first. After the great recession era (~2008 forward) Chinese consumers noticeably started loading up on debt. Household debt went from being very modest to being a serious issue. Particularly their debt is a lot more expensive in China, their household debt to income ratio is increasingly dire. Chart: https://i.imgur.com/C0vnLKZ.png https://i.imgur.com/C0vnLKZ.png
- powerapple 5y ago
  It is actually about freedom. Basically when you have more choices, marriage is not something you do automatically when you reach the age. Marriage is stronger when people are financially weak. In poor countries, marriage can happen in very young age because of the financial benefit of it.
- AnimalMuppet 5y ago
  Interesting. I wonder if it is a consequence of the "one child" policy. That is, if you're an only child, you have to support your parents in their old age (or at least be prepared to do so). That leaves you less prepared to take on the financial obligations of marriage.
MangoCoffee 5y ago
the marriages decline seem common in developed and developing country. for example: Japan, South Korea and Taiwan all have marriages and child birth decline. young, college educated people have more options compare to the older generation.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
yibg 5y ago
From what I’ve seen, it’s similar to most other developing -> more developed countries. Specifically: - people are getting more education. So instead of getting hitched at 18 they are still in school at 22, 23 - more financial burden with raising family (getting married usually equals kids) - more financial independence. People don’t need to pair up to get by anymore. Also don’t need the extra labor from kids either - changes in cultural expectation. In china women are mostly still expected to get married young, but it’s rapidly changing. Being a single man / woman isn’t as much of an issue as it was before.
fmajid 5y ago
Perhaps because there is a strong cultural requirement in China for a groom to have his own house before getting married. If real estate gets more expensive in a bubble, so does marriage, and there is less of it.
- hdjjhhvvhga 5y ago
  Just like many cultural conditionings this one seems particularly unfair. Why just the broom? Why can't they both work towards the goal?
  - fmajid 5y ago
    Because societies where the bride’s parents have to pay a dowry invariably lead to female infanticide, as in India, not that China doesn’t have that problem, but it was caused by the one-child policy and families not wanting the family name to die out.
    - hdjjhhvvhga 5y ago
      Dowry is a terrible idea. However, turning 180 degrees and putting all financial burden of marriage on the male seems just as bad.
      - fmajid 5y ago
        That's what the introduction of Islam did in Arabia. They went from a situation where the bride's parents paid the groom a dowry (with the predictable female infanticide) to one where the groom paid the bride (not her parents) a mahr or "bridal gift" that is a security for her if the marriage is dissolved.

Articles started commonly appearing ~6-8 years ago about that topic re China. The explanation most of them gave, from interviewing people in China that were actively making decisions about marriage, had to do with financial challenges in terms of affording it. The people being interviewed usually would talk about marriage being a formula, involving a certain financial context, and that they were putting off getting married because they had other financial obligations (liabilities or otherwise) that needed to come first. After the great recession era (~2008 forward) Chinese consumers noticeably started loading up on debt. Household debt went from being very modest to being a serious issue. Particularly their debt is a lot more expensive in China, their household debt to income ratio is increasingly dire. Chart: https://i.imgur.com/C0vnLKZ.png https://i.imgur.com/C0vnLKZ.png

powerapple 5y ago
It is actually about freedom. Basically when you have more choices, marriage is not something you do automatically when you reach the age. Marriage is stronger when people are financially weak. In poor countries, marriage can happen in very young age because of the financial benefit of it.
AnimalMuppet 5y ago
Interesting. I wonder if it is a consequence of the "one child" policy. That is, if you're an only child, you have to support your parents in their old age (or at least be prepared to do so). That leaves you less prepared to take on the financial obligations of marriage.

MangoCoffee 5y ago

the marriages decline seem common in developed and developing country. for example: Japan, South Korea and Taiwan all have marriages and child birth decline. young, college educated people have more options compare to the older generation.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

yibg 5y ago

From what I’ve seen, it’s similar to most other developing -> more developed countries. Specifically: - people are getting more education. So instead of getting hitched at 18 they are still in school at 22, 23 - more financial burden with raising family (getting married usually equals kids) - more financial independence. People don’t need to pair up to get by anymore. Also don’t need the extra labor from kids either - changes in cultural expectation. In china women are mostly still expected to get married young, but it’s rapidly changing. Being a single man / woman isn’t as much of an issue as it was before.

fmajid 5y ago

Perhaps because there is a strong cultural requirement in China for a groom to have his own house before getting married. If real estate gets more expensive in a bubble, so does marriage, and there is less of it.

hdjjhhvvhga 5y ago
Just like many cultural conditionings this one seems particularly unfair. Why just the broom? Why can't they both work towards the goal?
- fmajid 5y ago
  Because societies where the bride’s parents have to pay a dowry invariably lead to female infanticide, as in India, not that China doesn’t have that problem, but it was caused by the one-child policy and families not wanting the family name to die out.
  - hdjjhhvvhga 5y ago
    Dowry is a terrible idea. However, turning 180 degrees and putting all financial burden of marriage on the male seems just as bad.
    - fmajid 5y ago
      That's what the introduction of Islam did in Arabia. They went from a situation where the bride's parents paid the groom a dowry (with the predictable female infanticide) to one where the groom paid the bride (not her parents) a mahr or "bridal gift" that is a security for her if the marriage is dissolved.