China Looks to Make Tying the Knot Easier as Marriage Rate Continues Decade-Long Decline
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A person holding a marriage certificate and a “hukou” in Shandong province in July 2023. Photo: VCG
Draft amendments to China’s decades-old marriage registration rules would make it easier for couples to tie the knot, as marriage rates have tumbled in recent years.
Couples trying to register a marriage would no longer need to present their household registration documents, or “hukou,” according to draft revisions to the Marriage Registration Regulation released by the Ministry of Civil Affairs last week.
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- China proposes removing household registration document (hukou) requirements for marriage and divorce registrations to ease the process amid declining marriage rates.
- Couples could register marriages anywhere in the country, supported by the existing information sharing mechanism to prevent bigamy and sham marriages.
- The draft includes a mandatory 30-day cooling-off period for divorce, sparking debate, and proposes annulment conditions like forced marriage or undisclosed major illness.
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What Happened When
- 2014：
- The general decline in marriages began.
- 2017：
- The civil affairs and the public security ministries established an information sharing mechanism to prevent bigamy and sham marriages.
- 2021：
- The concept of a mandatory 'cooling-off period' for divorce filings was introduced to Chinese law in the Civil Code.
- 2023：
- The number of marriages rose year-on-year, attributed to couples delaying their nuptials amid government measures to curb the spread of Covid-19.
- The first six months of 2024：
- 3.43 million couples tied the knot in China, marking a 12.7% decline year-on-year and half of the level seen a decade ago.
- By July 2024：
- The Communist Party's top decision-making body called for measures to foster a 'fertility-friendly' society during its Third Plenum.
- 2024：
- Draft revisions to the Marriage Registration Regulation were released by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, proposing changes to make marriage registration easier.
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