China's marriage numbers fall nearly 10% in 2026, raising fears of further birth decline

China has recorded a sharp fall in marriage registrations in the first nine months of 2026, raising fresh concerns about its already declining birth rate that could add to the worsening population crisis.

The country registered 4.648 million marriages between January and September, a drop of 504,000 or 9.8 per cent compared with the same period last year, according to data released by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the South China Morning Post reported. Around 2.08 million couples also divorced during this period, Reuters reported.

The latest figures mark a setback after marriage registrations briefly recovered in 2025.

Falling marriages add to birth rate concerns

The decline has raised concerns about a further fall in births in China, which is already facing a shrinking population and an ageing society.

China recorded 7.92 million births in 2025, down 17 per cent from 9.54 million in 2024, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. The birth rate dropped to 5.63 per 1,000 people, the lowest since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

The country's population also fell by 3.39 million to around 1.405 billion in 2025, marking its fourth consecutive annual decline.

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The outlook remains challenging, with the number of women aged 15 to 49, considered to be of reproductive age by the United Nations, projected to fall by more than two-thirds to fewer than 100 million by the end of the century, Reuters reported.

The Chinese government has introduced childcare subsidies, expanded preschool support and other incentives to encourage couples to marry and have children.

However, rising living costs and changing attitudes towards marriage and family life continue to pose challenges to these efforts.