A couple poses for photos at a marriage registration office in Gusu district, Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, Aug 29. [Photo/Xinhua]

Experts have called for stronger policy and financial support for young people and enhanced efforts to eliminate workplace discrimination to foster a marriage-and birth-friendly society.

According to the China Statistical Yearbook, which was published recently by the National Bureau of Statistics, about 6.1 million couples registered their marriage in 2024. Among them, 6.04 million were mainland residents, while 61,900 had spouses who were foreigners, overseas Chinese, or residents of the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan.

Data shows that the number of marriage registrations has fluctuated in recent years, with a marginal rebound in 2023 after continuous decline since 2013. In the first three quarters of 2025, there has been a modest increase in the number, with about 5.15 million couples registering their marriage, compared with 4.75 million during the same period last year.

Amid this trend, experts and members of the public have urged more policy and financial support from the government to ease pressures on young people of marriageable age and encourage them to marry and have children.

"From a demographic perspective, China's current population of marriageable age — mainly those born after 1990 and 2000 — is shrinking. Young people's views on marriage differ from those of previous generations. They tend to delay marriage or choose not to marry," said Jiang Quanbao, a professor at the Capital University of Economics and Business' School of Labor Economics in Beijing.

Social pressures and changing norms also influence marriage decisions, Jiang noted. "Young people face financial pressures from housing expenses, 'bride price', and wedding and childbearing costs. Also, women are becoming more educated and pursuing career success," he said, adding that society has become more inclusive and open-minded about diverse attitudes toward marriage.

Zhang Xianling, an associate professor at the Central University of Finance and Economics' School of Sociology and Psychology in Beijing, told Workers' Daily that marriage is traditionally seen as essential for personal growth and carrying forward the family bloodline, but with rapid economic and social transformations, more young people now choose to delay marriage or not marry at all.

To boost marriage and childbirth rates, relevant authorities have rolled out new supportive measures, including streamlining marriage registration procedures.

In May, people of marriageable age were allowed to register for marriage at their place of work or residence instead of their hometowns under the hukou system, also known as household registration.

In July, a financial support policy was introduced to give families 3,600 yuan ($511) per year for each child under the age of 3 years.

The recently adopted recommendations for formulating China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) also call for promoting positive attitudes toward marriage and childbirth by optimizing supportive policies and incentives.

Wang Xuanyi, 29, a financial analyst in Beijing, said that for ordinary people, the greatest pressures of marriage include home loans and child-rearing expenses. "For me, as a woman, I may face discrimination in the workplace, as some employers see pregnant employees as a burden."

Wang emphasized that it is important for the government to promote healthier perspectives on marriage and childbirth by alleviating young people's concerns about career development, high housing prices, and a work culture that is not friendly toward childcare.

"It will be a long journey, but I think things will get better if we receive stronger policy and financial support from the authorities," she added.

Jiang, from Capital University of Economics and Business, said that encouraging young people to marry and have children requires a systematic effort involving financial support, improved public services and guidance on marriage values.

"The government can offer special housing subsidies, or low-interest or interest-free housing loans, to the newlyweds. In addition to childcare subsidies, it could explore benefits such as marriage and settlement allowances and tax reductions for couples," he said.

Jiang said that it is crucial "to fully implement and optimize the maternity leave system and encourage men to share childcare responsibilities to reduce the 'motherhood penalty' — prejudices women may face in the job market due to childbirth".

The expert also called for improvements in childcare services, and suggested that schools and residential communities organize lectures for young people on maintaining relationships and managing family tensions.

"It's important to portray a healthy, fair and happy marriage and family life," he said, adding that trade unions and communities could organize diverse and healthy dating activities or social events for young people.