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Luna Sun

China has launched a new nationwide marital and maternity survey to gain insight into what is driving the country’s declining marriage and birth rates.
The survey, authorised by the National Bureau of Statistics and carried out in conjunction with family planning and demographic authorities, kicked off earlier this month in several regions of Hunan province.
A total of 20,000 Chinese aged 20-44 across 100 counties, districts and cities will take part, according to the China Population and Development Research Centre (CPDRC).
The questionnaire revolves around childbirth plans and problems with policies concerning marriage, starting a family and child rearing, among other areas. Participants are also asked what services they would like to see.
Marriage on the rocks in China, total hits record low
It is one of the largest and most comprehensive surveys on the topic in recent years.
Chinese mothers gave birth to 10.62 million babies in 2021, an 11.5 per cent fall from 2020, and China’s seventh national census showed that its 2020 fertility rate was 1.3 children per woman – below the replacement level of 2.1 needed for a stable population. Independent demographers said it fell to 1.15 last year, but no official figure was provided.
China’s inadequate fertility rate is due to a range of factors, including health conditions, households’ financial situation, as well as drastic changes in the socioeconomic environment, the CPDRC said in a report published on its official WeChat account on Tuesday.
The tumbling birth rate has prompted demographers to warn that China’s population could start declining as soon as this year. The consensus among economists is that the shrinking population and the ageing crisis will be one of the most far-reaching and pernicious issues China’s economy is set to face.




Beijing has relaxed its strict family planning rules over the last decade in response to the falling birth rates.
In 2016, the country ended its notorious one-child policy to allow couples to have two children, with a third allowed from last year in response to the results of the seventh national census. China’s overall population increased just 480,000 to 1.4126 billion in 2021.
But the easing of family planning restrictions, as well as policies to cut childcare costs, provide more parental leave and make education, housing and other resources more accessible, have not yet turned the tide on the plunging number of births.
“When there is a deficit between people’s fertility willingness and the expected fertility standard, [the survey] asks why … and on the other hand, [the survey is designed to] understand the contributing factors, especially how the relevant policy and supporting measures have improved people’s fertility willingness,” the CPDRC said on its WeChat account.


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Young Chinese are becoming more reluctant to get married and have children due to fast-changing socioeconomic conditions. Photo: Getty Images

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A total of 20,000 Chinese aged 20-44 across 100 counties, districts and cities will take part in the new survey
The questionnaire revolves around childbirth plans and problems with policies concerning marriage and starting a family



The nationwide maternity and marital survey is one of the largest conducted by China as it tries to gain insight into why marriage and birth rates are falling in the world’s most populous country.


China's ageing population

China economy

Ageing society

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