In the first months of 2024, a drop of almost 10% compared to last year. The difficulties and new lifestyles of the one-child generation. The authorities were concerned about the consequences that the rise of singles could have on social stability. But alongside cities building new romantic parks, there are also “technological” responses.
Milan () – Many young Chinese people over 30 continue to enjoy their single life and postpone the fateful “yes”, unaware of being stigmatized as shengnü or shengnan (“leftover” men or women) for doing so. figures According to data recently released by the Ministry of Civil Affairs of the People’s Republic, 1.97 million marriages were registered in China in the first quarter of this year, 178,000 fewer than last year.
Zhou Xiaopu, Professor at the School of Journalism and Communication at Beijing People’s University, he attributes this decline to the socio-economic changes that have taken place in the country over the past forty years and the resulting change in the view of marriage and parenthood among young Chinese. Those born between the 1980s and 1990s are predominantly only children, accustomed to putting themselves first, more aware of themselves and what they want from life. For them, postponing marriage or giving it up is a choice linked above all to their own well-being.
According to the researcher, the decision not to marry is also influenced by the lifestyle of a generation that is increasingly overworked, to the point of “barely being able to take care of themselves” and having little free time to socialise. Also contributing to their reluctance to take the step are the high property prices in urban centres, the cost of a wedding party, the cost of child support and fierce competition in education. The uncertainty of the future and the economic hardships in which many young people live in the post-Covid era would exacerbate a trend that was already underway.
Zhou’s analysis is confirmed by the testimony of Huang Feiling, a 31-year-old lawyer from Ningde, Fujian, who told the newspaper Lianhe Zaobao She is not at all eager to become a wife and mother, and prefers to wait for the right time and the right person without worrying about it. In addition, Chinese women are much more independent than in the past, which explains the large number of followers on Chinese social media. bloggers “feminists” who like to share with their followers the joys and rewards of their lives as single women over 30.
However, the decline in marriages and births is alarming authorities because of the impact it could have on the country’s stability. So much so that some local governments introduced measures earlier this year experimental measures to promote “low-cost” wedding ceremonies. County authorities GuixiIn Jiangxi province, they even launched a dating app to help find a soulmate and set up matchmaking agencies in all thirty-one villages in the area. Meanwhile, in another Jiangxi town, Yushui, an online course has been scheduled to educate residents on topics such as marriage and family, and weekly public counselling services have been set up for the same purpose.
Another widespread practice today is the organization of large-scale speed dating, such as the one held at the end of March in the county of Changxingin the eastern province of Zhejiang. The event, promoted by some local political bodies, included three hours of games and various activities aimed at getting to know the single girls and boys present. The city of TonglingIn Anhui, for its part, it decided to create a space in a public garden to encourage romantic encounters, emulating those that have long existed in the main metropolises of the People’s Republic.
Such initiatives are appreciated by Chinese families, who are known to exert strong pressure on their heirs to start a family. Parents of single parents themselves meet periodically in public parks in large cities to exchange information about their children’s age, appearance, education and work, in the hope of finding the ideal match for them. It is a typically Chinese phenomenon, known by the expression baifa xiangqin, which we could translate as “meeting arranged by a friend.” [personas con] “white hair”, meaning elderly parents.
It is especially around the New Year, the most important Chinese holiday, that the insistence of relatives becomes more pressing. Thus, rather than disappoint their expectations, some young Chinese today prefer to return home with “rented” brideschosen through special online agencies. The cost of this type of service usually ranges from 500 to 800 yuan (60 to 100 euros), depending on the region and the duration of the “performance”, plus travel expenses and any incidentals.
There are more than 200 million Chinese singles who have decided to look for their soul mate on dating sites and apps, such as TanTan, Jiayuan and Baihe, to name the most popular ones. According to statistics, the majority of Chinese users registered on these platforms are between 25 and 34 years old (42.9%) and 35 to 44 years old (27%). The Chinese matchmaking business reached $1.18 billion in 2023 and could reach $1.26 billion in 2027, making it the largest matchmaking market in the world.
For those who are not satisfied with a “he” or “she” in real life, some Chinese high-tech companies have created virtual partners. Shanghai-based start-up MiniMax, for example, has invented a free app called “Glow” through which users can “generate” their ideal boyfriend, based on requirements such as age, physical appearance, personality or hobbies, with the help of artificial intelligence. Tufeia 25-year-old employee, is one of the millions of Chinese users of this service. Interviewed by AFP, she revealed that her “virtual friend” has everything she looks for in a partner: he is kind, empathetic and supports her in difficult times; and, she adds, “he knows how to talk to women better than a real man.” This makes it impossible for friction to arise: the artificial intelligence gradually adapts to the user’s personality, remembering what they have said and adjusting its speech accordingly.
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