Chen Songxi, a member of China’s National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), has proposed lowering the legal marriage age to 18 to “unleash reproductive potential” and address the country’s declining population. The proposal, reported by the state-backed Global Times, aims to align China’s marriage laws with international norms and expand the fertility population base.
China’s current legal marriage age—22 for men and 20 for women—is among the highest globally as most developed countries set the marriage age at 18.
China’s Population Crisis: A Third Consecutive Year of Decline
China’s population fell for the third consecutive year in 2024, with marriages dropping by 20%—the largest decline on record. The downturn stems from the one-child policy (1980–2015), which has left lasting demographic scars despite recent shifts allowing up to three children per family.
Many young Chinese are opting out of marriage and childbearing due to high childcare costs career pressures, and housing expenses. A 2023 think tank report found China to be one of the most expensive places globally to raise a child relative to GDP per capita.
CPPCC Introduces Incentives to Encourage Marriage and Childbirth
The CPPCC, a largely ceremonial advisory body, includes representatives from business, arts, religion, and non-communist groups. While it provides policy recommendations, it holds no legislative power, meaning Chen’s proposal must gain traction within the National People’s Congress (NPC) to become law.
Chen’s proposal includes creating an “incentive system” for marriage and childbirth, such as maternity leave extensions, tax benefits, and housing subsidies. He also advocates for completely removing childbirth restrictions to meet the “urgent needs of population development in the new era.”
But despite the government’s efforts, including enacting financial incentives and childcare support, birthrates remain stubbornly low. have said that without the administration addressing structural issues like gender inequality and high living costs, these measures may have little to no impact.
