Couples pose for photos after completing their marriage registrations at the Futian District Marriage Registration Office in Xiangmi Park, Futian, on Feb. 12.
Shenzhen recorded nearly 92,000 new marriages last year, leading Guangdong Province for the fourth consecutive year, according to the city’s civil affairs bureau.
While this figure is less than the 109,000 registered in 2023, the peak year for marriages in the city over the past five years, it still surpassed the 2022 total, the bureau noted.
A large population base is one of the reasons behind the high number of marriage registrations in the city.
Shenzhen, known as a city of immigrants, boasts 17.66 million permanent residents, according to official data.
As a prosperous city with abundant job opportunities, Shenzhen has been a magnet for innovative, entrepreneurial, and creative talent from around the world.
According to the “2024 Ranking of Chinese Cities in Attraction for Post-95s,” released by Zhilian Zhaopin, one of the leading online recruitment platforms in the country, Shenzhen ranked first as the most attractive city for post-95s.
The report noted that, compared to Beijing and Shanghai, Shenzhen has a lower threshold for hukou registration and an innovative industrial structure that provides more job opportunities, making it increasingly appealing to young people seeking employment.
A couple arrives at the marriage registration office in Dapeng.
The latest national population census showed that more than 79 of the city’s permanent residents are aged 15-59, with an average age of 32.5 years.
China recorded a 20% year-on-year decline in marriage registrations in 2024, with only 6.1 million couples registering their marriages last year, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
The nation’s registered marriages have seen a downward trend from 2014.
Experts say that a shifting outlook toward marriage, an unbalanced sex ratio, and the trend of delaying first marriages are key factors driving the decline in registrations. They also warn that fewer marriages will impact China’s future birthrate.