China’s population crisis prompts county to play Cupid to pair up unwed singles

Parents of single children are also expected to take advantage of ‘matchmaking corners’ in high-traffic areas where posters may be hung with personal information for others to review

National and regional policies like these aim to address China’s declining marriage and birth rates

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As China faces a rapidly ageing population and a growing reluctance among young people to get married and have children, a county-level government in Hebei province is playing matchmaker. Photo: AP

Published: 9:30pm, 28 Dec 2021Updated: 11:32am, 29 Dec 2021

A county in northern China is collecting information from singles to build an official database for matchmaking purposes, a local official said as the nation faces dire demographic prospects.

In response to a citizen’s question on the official “Message Board for Leaders” website operated by People.cn, the party boss of Luanzhou in the northern province of Hebei said the county had been distributing application forms for matchmaking activities since November 18.

“Single youths fill in personal information – such as name, gender, age, job, economic status, family situation, etc – to establish a database for single youths, to better serve them in terms of dating and marriage,” said the response from Li Jianzhong.

Additionally, the county of 520,000 people has set up three “matchmaking corners” in high-traffic areas such as parks and zoos. These serve as a sort of marriage market where people – usually the parents of single children – may put up posters with personal information on display, in an attempt to find a suitable spouse.

While struggling to cope with its rapidly ageing population, the world’s second-largest economy has also been grappling with a declining marriage rate and birth rate.

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