To promote China’s positive marriage and family culture, the country’s Civil Affairs University recently announced a new graduate program focused on marriage, called “Marriage Services and Management.” The program comes at a time when China is experiencing a decline in new births, which is closely linked to a drop in marriage rates. Independent informed of.
According to state media, the graduate program starting this September at the Beijing institute seeks to “prepare professionals to develop marriage-related industries and culture.” Zhao Honggang, the university’s vice president, told local media that the program, which begins enrolling students this September, will recruit 70 graduate students across 12 provinces in 2024.
About the program:
- The program aims to prepare professionals to develop wedding-related industries and cultures and promote China’s positive marriage and family culture.
- The programme will cover topics such as family counselling, high-end marriage planning and development of matchmaking products.
- Graduates of the program will find career opportunities in industry associations, matchmaking agencies, marriage service companies, and marriage and family counseling organizations.
Notably, China’s population has declined for the second consecutive year, mainly due to a steady drop in the birth rate. Despite the one-child policy being relaxed in 2016, allowing couples to have up to three children from 2021, the marriage rate has continued to fall. This trend has continued for nearly a decade, with 2022 seeing a record drop in marriages. As a result, the birth rate has halved since 2016, reaching a critically low level in 2023.
China’s economic slowdown appears to be a significant factor in the declining marriage rate among young people. With growing concerns about job security and financial stability, many young people are hesitant to commit to marriage. The country’s slowing economy has led to poor job prospects, low wages and decreased consumer confidence, making it challenging for young adults to feel financially ready to marry and start a family. Additionally, the high cost of living, including housing and healthcare expenses, also contributes to the delay or avoidance of marriage.
Many users on Chinese social media platform Weibo ridiculed the announcement, writing, “It’s time to start a state-owned marriage agency.”
Others questioned the need for such a degree. One wrote, “This industry is not just sunset, it’s doomsday,” while another commented that “learning this subject is literally unemployment after graduation.”
