Millennials “unmarried” from China, why?

Sue, who turned thirty-one this year, is a career woman working for a trading company in Guangzhou, a large city in China. Until two years ago, she was struggling with ‘what if I can’t get married before I’m 30’, and now she’s relaxed.

“At the time, I was under tremendous pressure to get married before I was 30, but I don’t worry anymore. I like him now.”

‘Only Thirty’, a drama about young Chinese women these days [사진 바이두바이커]

This is a case presented by CNN in the United States, which deals with the phenomenon that Chinese millennials (a generation born between the early 1980s and early 2000s) avoid marriage.

A growing number of young people avoid marriage in China.

In 2019, the marriage rate in China reached its lowest level in 14 years. Compared to 2013, it has fallen 33%. The age of first marriage has also increased. Women have increased from age 22 (1990) to age 25 (2016), and in large cities they married later. Naturally, the fertility rate has also decreased significantly.

Of course, it is not only in China that younger generations avoid marriage. CNN reported: “The marriage rate has decreased in recent decades, especially in Western countries,” but “compared to other East Asian countries such as Korea and Japan, it still draws attention because it is China, which has a high marriage rate. ”

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Why do Chinese millennials avoid marriage?

First, there is an analysis of the aftermath of the ‘one child policy’ implemented by the Chinese government since 1979. This means that the population of marriageable age has decreased. Additionally, some point out that the ‘one-child policy’ was implemented in a social environment that favors male children, resulting in a serious gender imbalance. This is because there are 30 million more men than women of marriageable age.

CNN analyzed that “more than anything, the fact that the level of education of the women was higher was the deciding factor”. It is explained that women who have received a good education and have good jobs can pay financially and do not feel the need to get married.

However, the broadcast noted that the problem is that many men are still looking for women who can focus on housework and parenting. “Unlike the previous generation, young women in China not only accept ‘gender inequality’, but place great importance on self-development.”

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There is also a problem with Chinese corporate culture. CNN said: “Chinese youth work long hours at work and are under great pressure. They don’t have the time and energy to create new relationships,” CNN said.

Finally, the problem of “money” cannot be ignored. Still, many Chinese consider buying a house a prerequisite when they get married, because the price of the house has skyrocketed.

As the marriage rate fell, the Chinese government caught fire.

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This is because the ‘population crisis’ has arrived, which experts have been warning for years. The Chinese government is launching a campaign to encourage married couples to have children, while proactively preparing measures, such as extending maternity leave. Some local governments even grant subsidies and increase the fever by raising the fertility rate.

However, can these policies increase the marriage rate?

CNN said: “There is no policy to solve the fundamental problem of ‘gender inequality’,” he said. “If this problem is not resolved, forcing the marriage will only have a more counterproductive effect.”

Reporter Lim Ju-ri [email protected]