STORY: A rise in the number of marriages is proving to be a bright spot in China's population data landscape, as official data released on Monday (January 19) showed the country's birth rate hit a record low in 2025 and its total population fell for the fourth straight year.

Marriage rates were up 8.5% for the first nine months of 2025, according to data released by the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) earlier this month, buoyed by government policy changes and increasing the likelihood that marriage numbers in 2025 overall will halt a downtrend in annual nuptials that has gone almost uninterrupted for more than a decade.

At Huqiu Bridal City in China's eastern city of Suzhou, wedding vendors are cautiously optimistic.

Chen Juan, the co-owner of Luoyi Bridal, where dresses are priced from 1,000 yuan ($143.51) to around 4,000 yuan for more ornate styles, said marriage rates in 2024 dropped significantly as it was considered an inauspicious year to tie the knot, with many couples delaying weddings to 2025.

The sprawling Huqiu Bridal City, one of China's largest wedding dress markets, is home to more than 800 stores filled with frothy white taffeta, silk gloves, lace veils, as well as bespoke suits.

A nationwide policy change in May 2025, allowing couples to marry anywhere in China rather than in their place of residence, also contributed to the rebound, Chen and other vendors said.

In response, local governments scrambled to attract a new wave of marriage tourists, setting up registration offices around scenic spots, at music festivals - and even in subway stations, shopping malls and parks.

Chen expects growth to continue due to this year's favourable zodiac, Year of the Horse, which is considered a time of success. However, Chen emphasised the need for further government incentives to make even more of a difference.

"If the government can introduce more supportive policies in all aspects, that would be a positive trend. Because young people's attitudes have changed... they have more considerations about marriage," Chen said.

A declining interest in marriage and family among young Chinese is widely blamed on the high cost of childcare and education. Some cities and regions have introduced cash vouchers for newlyweds to help convince citizens to tie the knot.

Zhu Jiaomei, 31, who sells made-to-measure gowns at the market, said the overall economy plays an even more important role than specific wedding-related policies in people's willingness to marry, and the price they are willing to spend when they say "Yes" to the dress.

"The most important thing is that the economy improves, and everyone has confidence. Only when they have confidence in the future, do I think they will consider (marriage), and having more children,” she said, adding that budgets are commonly half of those seen before the COVID-19 pandemic.

For 48-year-old wedding shoe seller Cheng Yonggui, the prospect of more marriages in the future holds personal significance.

With two sons approaching marriageable age, Cheng said she and her husband are "very anxious" about the prospect of their boys attracting a bride in a country where men heavily outnumber women due to a traditional cultural preference for male children.

In China, it is customary for parents of the groom to help their sons pay for an apartment and car, as well as a kind of dowry in some cases, before any marriage. Cheng estimates this will cost her and her husband several yuan per son.

"For us, the pressure is immense, but we're working hard.”

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: HUQIU WEDDING CITY / WEDDING DRESSES ON DISPLAY / CUSTOMERS SHOPPING / INTERVIEWS WITH SHOP WORKERS / FILE OF WEDDING, ELDERLY, AND ONE CHILD POLICY RELATED FOOTAGE

SHOWS: SUZHOU, JIANGSU PROVINCE, CHINA (JANUARY 16, 2026) (REUTERS - Access All)

1. VARIOUS OF WEDDING DRESS SHOP CO-OWNER, CHEN JUAN, ADJUSTING GOWN ON DISPLAY

2. CHEN WALKING THROUGH STORE AND INTRODUCING GOWN

3. VARIOUS OF CHEN SHOWING EMBROIDERY DETAIL

4. (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CO-OWNER OF WEDDING DRESS SHOP "LUOYI BRIDAL," CHEN JUAN, SAYING:

"There are a lot of couples, for example, that had already started looking at wedding dates and preparing for marriage in 2024. However, because 2024 is considered an unlucky year, some couples postponed their weddings, possibly delaying them to 2025. As a result, the total number of marriages in 2025 is significantly higher than in 2024. Another factor is that in 2025 the government introduced a policy allowing couples to register their marriage in a different location (from their hometowns). This makes getting married more convenient for young people."

5. GOWNS ON DISPLAY

6. CHEN INTRODUCING GOWN

7. EXTERIOR OF LUOYI BRIDAL

8. MINI WEDDING GOWNS ON DISPLAY

9. (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CO-OWNER OF WEDDING DRESS SHOP "LUOYI BRIDAL," CHEN JUAN, SAYING:

"If the government can introduce more supportive policies in all aspects, that would be a positive trend. Because young people's attitudes have changed. That's to say they have more considerations about marriage. The marriage rate is already lower than before, so the government wants to encourage more people to step into the marriage hall, right?"

10. FEATHERS SEWN TO GOWN

11. VARIOUS OF WEDDING DRESS SELLER, ZHU JIAOMEI, INTRODUCING GOWN

12. DECORATIVE EMBELLISHMENTS ON GOWN

13. (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) WEDDING DRESS SELLER, ZHU JIAOMEI, SAYING:

"These policies are more like sending someone coal in winter (timely assistance) rather than a fundamental solution. For people who already want to get married, they are definitely willing to accept more of these policies. But, now, most young people are putting more emphasis on their own lives, and don't want their standard of living to decline because of having children. So I think these policies will only have a limited impact, and wouldn't say it's a policy that will change young people's views on marriage. The most important thing is that the economy improves, and everybody has confidence. Only when they have confidence in the future, do I think they will consider (marriage) and having more children."

14. VARIOUS OF GOWNS ON DISPLAY

15. VARIOUS OF WEDDING SHOE SELLER, CHENG YONGGUI, INTRODUCING SHOE

16. SHOES ON DISPLAY

17. (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) WEDDING SHOE SELLER, CHENG YONGGUI, SAYING:

"To be honest, there are fewer girls and more boys here. If you don't have sufficient financial conditions to get married, then even if you force two people to be together, life will not be good. From my child's own perspective, he feels he doesn't currently have the financial ability to support a girlfriend, let alone children."

18. SHOP SIGN READING (Chinese): "ONE LIFE, ONE WORLD, ONE COUPLE. AMONG A THOUSAND SHOPS AND TEN THOUSAND DRESSES, PICK ONE HEART." / (English): "IN LOVE ONE FINDS THEIR TRUE FULFILLMENT"

19. MAN WALKING PAST SHOP SELLING WEDDING VEILS AND ACCESSORIES

20. HAT ON DISPLAY

21. GLOVES AND HAIR ACCESSORIES ON DISPLAY

22. (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) WEDDING DRESS SELLER, CHENG YONGGUI, SAYING:

"Having two sons that will get married is a really, really big pressure for us. We're very anxious about it, very anxious. Sometimes you try not to think about it, but then people tell you, 'you have two sons, each son will need several million yuan, plus a car, a house, and bride price.' Here, a bride price is required. Along with the 'five gold items' (gold earrings, bracelets, necklaces, rings, and pendant), it's all needed. For us, the pressure is immense, but we're working hard, very hard. We put in a lot of effort to assist them to the best of our abilities. That's how we think."

23. BANNER READING (Chinese): "HUQIU WEDDING CITY 2025 FALL SEASON PROCUREMENT FESTIVAL"

24. CUSTOMERS IN SHOP

25. WOMEN INSPECTING DECORATIONS ON GOWNS ON DISPLAY

26. WEDDING ATTIRE ON DISPLAY

27. WEDDING DRESS SHOP WITH DECORATIVE TREE MADE OF 100 YUAN NOTES

28. TREE MADE OF 100 YUAN NOTES

29. VARIOUS OF SHOPKEEPER READING WITH CHILD SURROUNDED BY WEDDING GOWNS

30. GOWNS ON DISPLAY

31. VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF HUQIU BRIDAL CITY / SIGN READING (English): "HUQIU BRIDAL CITY"

BEIJING, CHINA (FILE - OCTOBER 28, 2025) (REUTERS - Access All)

32. COUPLE HOLDING UP OFFICIAL INDIVIDUAL MARRIAGE REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS AFTER REGISTERING MARRIAGE

33. PHOTOGRAPHER DIRECTING COUPLE

34. COUPLE HOLDING MARRIAGE REGISTRATION CERTIFICATES

BEIJING, CHINA (FILE - 1989) (REUTERS - Access All) (ORIGINALLY 4:3)

35. COUPLE PUSHING CHILD IN PRAM AND WALKING UNDER BILLBOARD WITH CHINESE CHARACTERS THAT READ (Chinese): "IMPLEMENT FAMILY PLANNING POLICY, CREATE A BEAUTIFUL FUTURE"

36. MAN PUSHING CHILD ON BICYCLE

37. WOMAN ATTENDING TO CHILD IN PRAM

38. NEWBORNS AT MATERNITY WARD

39. BABY CRYING