Single Society Arrives, China‘s Marriage Rate Continues to Decline for 9 Consecutive Years
单身社会来临，国内结婚率连续9年下降
As time goes by, more and more people are choosing not to get married. In China, the marriage rate has been continuously declining for 9 years, almost halved. What does this phenomenon mean? Some people don’t get married because the cost is high and the return is low. In fact, marriage in modern society no longer has the economic benefits it used to have. Due to soaring house prices and increased family burdens, many young people are discouraged. In addition, women have a higher willingness not to get married than men, which is related to the premise that marriage means having children, and economically women will suffer greater losses.
随着时间的推移，越来越多的人选择不结婚。在国内，结婚率已经连续下降9年了，几乎腰斩。这种现象意味着什么？一些人之所以不结婚，是因为结婚成本高、收益低。实际上，现代社会中的婚姻已经不再像过去那样具有经济效益。由于房价高涨，家庭负担增加，不少年轻人望而却步。此外，女性不结婚的意愿也高于男性，这跟结婚意味着生育的前提有关，而在经济上女性会受到更大的损失。
However, people’s attitudes towards marriage have changed, and many young people value personal qualities more and pay more attention to the conditions of their marriage partners. Currently, in the middle-income group in cities, the era of the “soft class” is coming. At this time, not getting married has become a new mainstream trend, and the number of single people is gradually increasing. The popularity of single households is due to the diversity of modern society, and the utility of the family is no longer exclusively monopolized by marriage. In this era, individuals can also live comfortably and happily.
然而，人们对婚姻的态度发生了变化，很多年轻人更看重个人素质，也更注重结婚对象的条件。当前，在城市收入中等的群体中，软阶层时代正在到来。此时，不结婚已经成为新的主流趋势，单身人群正在逐渐增加。单身家庭流行背后的原因是现代社会的多样性，家庭的效用不再被婚姻独家垄断。在这个时代，个人也可以过得自在、满足。
The impact of not getting married is not only reflected at the individual level but also has a significant impact on the entire society. Currently, the birthrate continues to decline, and the natural population growth rate is even lower than Japan’s. Although some experts call for various matchmaking measures, they actually have no effect. For example, in Japan, matchmaking activities and various policies encouraging marriage cannot stop the increase of the single population. The correct approach is to find ways to revitalize the economy, adjust policies, and have more institutions and individuals replace the utility of families in modern society. At the same time, it is also necessary to encourage young people to actively pursue traditional values such as marriage, family, and children, and strengthen moral education and family education. In short, the trend of not getting married reflects social changes and changes in people’s lifestyles to some extent, but it also reminds us to maintain the continuity and inheritance of culture, tradition, and values, so that families can continue to play an important role in modern society and contribute to social harmony and stability.
不结婚的影响不仅体现在个人层面上，对于整个社会也有很大的影响。目前，出生人口持续下降，人口自然增长率甚至低于日本。虽然一些专家呼吁各类催婚催生措施，但实际上，这并没有什么效果。比如在日本，相亲活动和各种政策鼓励都无法阻止单身人群继续增加。正确的做法是，想办法搞活经济，变通政策，使得现代社会中家庭的效用被更多的机构和个人所替代。同时，也需要鼓励广大年轻人积极追求婚姻、家庭、子女等传统价值观，加强道德教育和家庭教育。总之，不结婚的趋势在一定程度上反映了社会变化和人们的生活方式改变，但也提醒我们要保持对文化、传统、价值的承续和传承，让家庭在现代社会中继续发挥重要作用，为社会和谐稳定做出贡献。
