Covid lockdowns to blame? Marriages in China slump to historic low

The drop comes as pandemic restrictions kept tens of millions locked in their homes for weeks last year.

Marriages in China dropped in 2022 to a record low point, Reuters reported quoting local news outlet Yicai. Data showed a steady decline over the past decade although the matrimonial total may have been affected by stringent Covid lockdowns in the country. Only 6.83 million couples completed their marriage registrations last year, data on the website of the Ministry of Civil Affairs showed. It is down about 800,000 from the previous year.

People walk at a shopping and office complex in Beijing. (AP)

The drop comes as pandemic restrictions kept tens of millions locked in their homes for weeks last year. This also comes as China deals with a declining birth rate and a falling population. In 2022, China's population fell for the first time in six decades, marking the start of a long period of decline that could impact the country's economy and the world, experts believe.

China's birth rate fell last year to 6.77 births per 1,000 people, the lowest on record from 7.52 in 2021. This implies that China will get old before it gets rich, as its workforce shrinks and local governments spend more on their elderly population.

Last month, with the aim of encouraging marriage and boosting the birth rate, China launched pilot projects in more than 20 cities to create a "new-era" marriage and childbearing culture. Some provinces in the country are also giving young newlyweds an extension of paid marriage leave.