Marriage Photo:VCG

In the first half of this year, the number of marriage registrations in China increased by 109,000 couples compared with the same period last year, according to the latest data released by Ministry of Civil Affairs.

According to the data, a total of 3.539 million couples registered for marriage in the first half of the year, up from 3.43 million year on year, the data showed. 

A total of 6.106 million couples registered their marriages in China in 2024, a decrease of 20.5 percent year-on-year, according to the latest data released by Ministry of Civil Affairs. The marriage rate was 4.3 per thousand, down by 1.1 per mille from the previous year, the data showed. 

Last year, 3.513 million couples legally completed divorce procedures, including 2.622 million divorces registered with civil affairs departments and 891,000 divorces granted through court rulings or mediations. The divorce rate stood at 2.5 per thousand, according the ministry.

China's revised marriage registration rules, which simplify paperwork and offer greater flexibility for couples, came into effect in May, according to the Xinhua News Agency. 

The updated regulations eliminate the need for household registration books, which have long been necessary for marriage applications, per Xinhua. 

According to official data, China recorded 1.81 million marriage registrations in the first quarter of this year, marking an 8 percent drop from the same period in 2024, according to the report.

After nine consecutive years of decline, China's marriage registration numbers saw a brief rebound in 2023. However, the downward trend resumed in 2024, with registrations falling to their lowest level since 1980.  

According to previously released data from the ministry, 1.81 million couples registered for marriage and 630,000 couples registered for divorce nationwide in the first quarter of this year. The number of marriage registrations further declined compared to the first quarter of 2024.

He Yafu, a demography expert who has long tracked marriage registration data, noted that in recent years, the first quarter typically sees the highest number of marriage registrations — about 30 percent of the annual total — mainly because many couples choose to marry around the Spring Festival. 

However, the year-on-year decline in first-quarter registrations last year suggested that the post-pandemic rebound effect was gradually fading. Based on the data collected, most regions saw a year-on-year decrease in marriage registrations in the first quarter this year, with only a few regions reporting increases. Therefore, a nationwide drop in first-quarter registrations was not unexpected, He told the Global Times on Thursday. 

As for why the overall number of marriage registrations in the first half of 2025 did not continue the downward trend seen in recent years, He noted a key factor: The newly revised marriage registration rules, which officially came into effect on May 10, 2025, allowing marriage registration to be handled nationwide without regional restrictions, he said.