Marriages inChinaplunged by a record last year, fanning birthrate concerns

Marriages in China plummeted by a fifth last year, the biggest drop on record, despite manifold efforts by authorities to encourage young couples to wed and have children to increase the country’s declining population.

Declining interest in getting married and starting a family has long been blamed on the high cost of child care and education in China. On top of that, sputtering economic growth over the past few years has made it difficult for university graduates to find work and those that do have jobs feel insecure about their long-term prospects.