Many Chinese Women Choose Single Life Due to Economic Pressure

Chai Wanrou is a freelance advertising writer who possesses financial independence. She believes that marriage is an “unfair institution.” Like many young women in China, she is part of the “no husband, no children” movement, which poses long-term challenges for the government in terms of population.

A 28-year-old feminist activist shared her perspective with Reuters, stating, “Here, regardless of whether you are successful or ordinary, women still sacrifice the most in the family. Women from the previous generation forgot about themselves and their careers and still couldn’t achieve the happy life they desired after divorce. Nowadays, living a good life on one’s own is already difficult enough.”

Dr. Zheng Yexin, a demographer at the People’s University of China, has mentioned that gender imbalance has led to low marriage rates because many individuals cannot find a partner, even if they desire to get married. Furthermore, more educated women are facing unprecedented uncertainty in the face of record youth unemployment and economic downturn, leading to an increasing acceptance of “singlehood”.

A recently published report reveals that China is one of the most expensive places in the world to raise a child, with disproportionately negative effects on women, causing the country’s birth rate to decline rapidly while grappling with a demographic crisis.

Last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized the need to “cultivate a new culture of marriage and child-rearing” against the backdrop of China’s second consecutive year of population decline and historically low birth rates.

Prime Minister Li Keqiang also pledged that China will “strive for a pro-birth society” and enhance childcare services in this year’s government work report.

According to official data, China’s single population over the age of 15 reached a record 239 million people in 2021. The number of marriages registered slightly increased last year due to pent-up demand from the pandemic after reaching a historic low in 2022. A 2021 survey by the Communist Youth League of about 2,900 unmarried urban youth revealed that 44% of women have no intention of getting married. However, marriage is still seen as a significant milestone of adulthood in China, and the rate of adults who have never married remains low.

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