China sees further marriage rate drop with divorce on rise

China recorded 3.28 million marriages in the first half of this year, down from 3.54 million for the same period last year, according to data published by the Ministry of Civil Affairs on Wednesday.

Divorce registrations, meanwhile, rose to 1.38 million from 1.33 million in the same period a year earlier, an increase of 52,000, the ministry said.

The drop in marriages comes despite a national policy change in May 2025 that removed residency restrictions, allowing couples to register at any civil affairs office in China with just identification documents.

China's annual marriage registrations have trended downward since peaking at 13.47 million in 2013, official data showed.

Registrations fell below 10 million in 2019, below 8 million in 2021 and below 7 million in 2022, when they dropped to 6.84 million. In 2023, however, registrations rebounded to 7.68 million.