When is your spouse’s birthday? Chinese authorities set couples a test before granting divorce
Initiative in eastern province aimed at halting the rising divorce rates and falling marriage rates, with mixed reactions
Couples are being asked to sit a test before being granted a divorce by local authorities in eastern China, in an attempt to address rising divorce rates, reports say.
The marriage registration office of the civil affairs bureau in Lianyungang city, Jiangsu province, has created a questionnaire for couples who want to divorce, reported China News Service on Tuesday. Introduced last week, couples must complete it before social workers can assess how salvageable their marriage is and how to intervene.
Divorce rates in China are rising, while marriage rates are declining. Previously, such intervention was sought privately by the couples involved.
Figures from the Ministry of Civil Affairs show the number of separations per 1,000 people doubled between 2006 and 2016, from 1.46 to 3. A total of 4.2 million couples divorced in 2016, which was a 8.3 per cent rise from the year before.
The number of people getting married in 2016 was 11.4 million, a 6.7 per cent fall from the previous year.