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Chinese university announces marriage-related degree. Here's why
China's Civil Affairs University will cover topics such as family counselling, high-end wedding planning, and the development of matchmaking products.
Amid the falling rate of marriage registration and birth rates in China, the country's Civil Affairs University has announced a new marriage programme in an effort to rebuild and promote marriage. The programme, set to open at the institution in September this year, seeks to cultivate professionals to develop marriage-related industries and culture, The Independent reported, citing state media.
The report added that the course aims to “highlight China’s positive marriage and family culture to students and the public and advance reform of China’s marriage customs". It will cover topics such as family counselling, high-end wedding planning, and the development of matchmaking products, the report added.
The report further stated that the university will take on 70 students from 12 provinces for the new degree every year.
A recent data showed that the number of Chinese couples who got married in the first half of this year fell to its lowest level since 2013 as more young people deferred nuptials amid a slowing economy and a rise in living costs, reported Reuters. According to the data, a total of 3.43 million couples tied the knot in the first six months of the year, a drop of 498,000 from the same year-ago period.
Marriage rates have been declining in China since 2014. There was an uptick in marriages in the country last year but demographers suggested this was largely due to the backlog in marriages following the Covid-19 pandemic, reported Reuters.
Meanwhile, data from January this year showed that China reported a downward trend in its population growth for the second consecutive time in 2023, giving rise to its deepening demographic challenge. According to China's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the country's population fell by around 2.08 million people in 2023 compared to the previous year.
Currently, China has a total of 1.409 billion people, which makes it the second most populated country. India surpassed China last year as the world's most populous country.
(With inputs from Reuters)
