https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxp6p51uV20 China’s population crisis is coming: Single by choice has become the mainstream among Chinese youth Oct 2, 2026 #Chinadeepdive China’s marriage crisis is becoming impossible to ignore. More young Chinese people are choosing to remain single or delay marriage as they face high housing costs, bride prices, long working hours, job insecurity, and the rising cost of raising children. As marriage registrations continue to fall, China’s once-booming wedding industry is also shrinking, with thousands of businesses closing and even former industry leaders struggling to survive. But the deeper issue is China’s accelerating population crisis. Fewer marriages mean fewer births, a shrinking workforce, and a rapidly aging society—putting growing pressure on economic growth, consumer demand, pensions, healthcare, and local government finances. This video explores why an increasing number of young Chinese are opting out of marriage and how this generational shift could reshape China’s future. Comments @ronnelacido1711 11 hours ago Wise choice for these 'no-marriage' individuals. If you can barely support yourself, why take on the responsibility of getting more mouths to feed? (Indians should learn in order not to cry) @theone8254 11 hours ago Marriage in China is a business. (like India) @Nightkids60 8 hours ago my retirement is to have a few robots taking care of me. (Is it possible for future pensioners of financial sector) @anestesyolog 9 hours ago பிரச்சனை பணமல்ல, மாறாக உயர்கல்விதான். அது மக்களைப் பெருநகரங்களில் தங்கள் அற்ப வேலைக்காகப் பெரும் பணத்தைக் கனவு காணும் முட்டாள் சோம்பேறிகளாக மாற்றிவிடுகிறது. @wheezysqueezebox7651 6 hours ago If you're working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., 6 days a week, and barely making ends meet, you don't have the time, or the money raise a child! 🍯 @darkflame031 8 hours ago what is the point of living???? what is the point of working many hours and money not enough to buy a house and make family?(Poor Iindians should think on these lines instead Caste and Religion) @dannyday5391 10 hours ago Last generation! That was the cry during Covid when they were locked in their homes by the CCP. They are not going to give the CCP the next generation of slaves. (CCP can't be destroyed in near future) @clintpot8521 11 hours ago The idea that the world is overpopulated is so silly at this point. China alone has lost almost a billion people with 2 generations of 1 child policy, and many parts of the world are below replacement birth rates. With modern technology, we could easily house the entire population of the world in a land mass about the size of Alaska. (Indians are awaiting such a situation in that land of Utopia) Transcript: Chapter 1: The rising trend of singleness 0:022 secondsIf you're around 30, unmarried, childless, and even too lazy to date, don't feel sorry for yourself. You're just incredibly lucky, like your 0:099 seconds[clears throat] ancestors were blessed with good fortune. Look at those married men, mortgages, car loans, baby formula, school district housing. They're 0:1717 secondspractically human ATMs. Wives complain you neglect your family. Husbands complain you spend too much. If the child gets sick, the couple immediately starts fighting. And then look at you. 0:2828 secondsYou spend your salary as you please. 0:3030 secondsSleep on the weekends. Eat skewers when you want. Play games when you want. What kind of idyllic lifestyle are you living? You've retired early, my friend. 0:3939 secondsSince ancient times, Chinese people have considered marriage one of life's four great joys. It's surprising that in 2026, not getting married is considered
the greatest fortune in life by young Chinese people. However, this is terrifying for the CCP. In fact, China's population crisis has arrived and its 0:5656 secondsconsequences will be far more severe than imagined. In this video, we'll examine the current mindset of young Chinese people and predict how the 1:041 minute, 4 secondspopulation crisis will profoundly impact this country. Chapter 2: Personal perspectives on marriage 1:091 minute, 9 secondsThe following honest words from a man and a woman can represent those who choose to stay away from marriage. 1:161 minute, 16 secondsTell me, what do men like you who are 40 and unmarried think? Don't want to take responsibility, but this not wanting to take responsibility might be a little different from what people think. 1:291 minute, 29 secondsAfter you have children, can you provide the life you want for them? Because those of us in education know that raising a child is not easy. Raising a 1:361 minute, 36 secondsgood child is even more difficult. So, the responsibility you have for your offspring, for your partner, is very heavy. So, I might only do this when I 1:441 minute, 44 secondstruly have the financial resources and the ability. 1:501 minute, 50 secondsWill a girl who never gets married suffer terribly in her old age? I'm 30 years old, unmarried, and don't want to get married. I live alone in Hainan. A 1:591 minute, 59 secondscouple of days ago, I video chatted with my family and my mother said, "You can't stay alone forever. You should find someone to marry, otherwise you'll have 2:072 minutes, 7 secondsno one to take care of you when you're sick." But I don't think marriage and having someone to take care of you when you're sick are necessarily related. 2:142 minutes, 14 secondsPeople can't resist the natural law of aging. Your body will definitely break down when you get older. Does getting married mean you won't get old? 2:242 minutes, 24 secondsThis blogger Linger said that by then your partner might pass away before you or one day you might have to take care of your bedridden spouse. She doesn't 2:322 minutes, 32 secondsagree with the view that married people have children to take care of them when they're old. She asked, "How many children these days can stay home and take care of their sick parents who need 2:412 minutes, 41 secondslong-term companionship? How strong is the trend of Chinese people, especially young people, being unwilling to get married? An entire industry has already Chapter 3: Market decline and social shifts 2:502 minutes, 50 secondsbeen destroyed." According to data from Tien Cha, a Chinese business information platform, the number of wedding and travel photography related companies 2:582 minutes, 58 secondsthat had their licenses revoked in China over the past 3 years reached 186,000. 3:043 minutes, 4 secondsThe overall industry size shrank from 3.74 trillion yuan in 2019 to 2.84 trillion yuan in 2024, a decrease of 3:133 minutes, 13 secondsnearly 25%. While there are still 2.9 million registered wedding companies nationwide, only 1.62 million are 3:203 minutes, 20 secondsactually operating normally, meaning nearly half have exited the market. 3:253 minutes, 25 secondsThe foundation of the wedding industry is the marriage population. According to the marriage registration statistics bulletin from the Ministry of Civil 3:333 minutes, 33 secondsAffairs of China, 13.469 million couples registered for marriage nationwide in 2013, setting an historical peak. This 3:423 minutes, 42 secondsnumber declined for 12 consecutive years, reaching only 6.106 million couples in 2024, the lowest in 44 years 3:503 minutes, 50 secondssince 1980. In just 10 years, the customer base has been hald. In the first quarter of 2026, there were 1.697 3:583 minutes, 58 secondsmillion couples. a year-on-year decrease of 6.24%.
Chinese media reported that a survey covering 28 cities in 2026 showed that over 62% of those born in the 1990s and 4:094 minutes, 9 seconds2000s believe that marriage is not a necessary choice in life. 5 years ago, this figure was only 38%. The work 4:174 minutes, 17 secondsintensity of Chinese people is worldrenowned. Even official data shows that the average weekly working hours for enterprises nationwide reached 48.1 4:254 minutes, 25 secondshours. This data reveals that a group of workers inevitably work more than the legally mandated hours. 996 is the norm 4:334 minutes, 33 secondsfor many Chinese workers, and some even work 007, meaning from midnight to midnight, 7 days a week, representing a 4:404 minutes, 40 seconds24-hour availability and continuous work without fixed off hours or rest days. Chapter 4: Economic barriers to marriage 4:454 minutes, 45 secondsEven more serious is the economic aspect. 4:504 minutes, 50 secondsLet me tell you the harsh truth. Without parental support, it's virtually impossible for a man to get married in China on his own. Let's do the math to 4:584 minutes, 58 secondssee just how difficult it is for a man to get married in China. Assuming a man graduates, starts working at 23, and earns $1,400 a month, spending half and 5:085 minutes, 8 secondssaving the other half. After 5 years at 28, he'll have saved a total of $45,000. 5:145 minutes, 14 secondsBut in many places, this amount is barely enough to pay the bride price. In other words, it's just enough to barely meet the threshold for a marriage. The 5:225 minutes, 22 secondsblogger says that in many cities the women not only demands a bride price but also a car and a condo. For a young person just entering society, this is 5:305 minutes, 30 secondsalmost mission impossible. Marriage is just the beginning. The cost of maintaining a family and raising children are equally high. The China 5:375 minutes, 37 secondsfertility cost report 2024 shows that the average cost of raising a child aged 0 to 17 nationwide is $80,000. In some 5:465 minutes, 46 secondshigh tier cities like Shanghai, it exceeds 150,000. Under heavy economic pressure, the views of young people in China are completely different from 5:555 minutes, 55 secondsthose of their parents. This blogger, Hang Wien, is no longer swayed by her mother's opinions. 6:046 minutes, 4 secondsMy mom said something today. If you don't get married and have children, what's the point of living? 6:116 minutes, 11 secondsActually, in most people's minds, marriage inevitably means having children. These two things are inseparable. after having children a lot 6:186 minutes, 18 secondsof time money and energy must be invested in them. So as a cow or horse if I find another cow or horse and have another little cow or horse and then the 6:276 minutes, 27 secondsthree of us can live a happy life. Is that possible? Actually I don't have time to think about these things. I just don't have the time or energy to think about them. 6:376 minutes, 37 secondsCow or horse is a self-deprecating term used by Chinese laborers including bluecollar and white collar workers meaning people who live as hard as a cow 6:456 minutes, 45 secondsor horse. Some young people have offered a more insightful summary of why they don't want to get married. Chapter 5: A shift in social mindset 6:536 minutes, 53 secondsThe essence of not wanting to get married is actually poverty. It's not enough money. Because of insufficient money, we don't want to add another 7:007 minutesfamily, another burden. Having to divert money that's already insufficient for ourselves to support children in a family is extremely painful. Therefore, 7:087 minutes, 8 secondswe essentially don't want to get married because we don't want to suffer, toil, or poverty. In fact, because our current single lives are already unbearable and
chaotic, we certainly don't want to enter into marriage, we know that marriage will become an even bigger vortex. Faced with soaring housing 7:247 minutes, 24 secondsprices and exorbitant bride prices, many young men are also beginning to adjust their mindset. They no longer feel inferior, but are adapting to a future 7:337 minutes, 33 secondswithout marriage with a more positive attitude. 7:387 minutes, 38 secondsIt's not shameful at all to not be able to afford a wedding, a house, or a bride price. So whenever I see many guys feeling guilty and inferior because they 7:467 minutes, 46 secondscan't afford the so-called conditions for their future mother-in-laws, it's completely unnecessary because you know it's very obvious that anyone with a 7:537 minutes, 53 secondsmodiccom of intelligence can see that the conditions and requirements for marriage now are beyond the capacity of ordinary people. In other words, young 8:028 minutes, 2 secondspeople in their 20s today don't need to bear such immense pressure for marriage. 8:068 minutes, 6 secondsIt's already beyond our capacity to cope. China's population is already declining. Chapter 6: Population crisis and its causes 8:138 minutes, 13 secondsAccording to China's 7th national census in 2020, the post80s generation totaled 223 million, making it the largest 8:208 minutes, 20 secondsgeneration in China. The post90s generation only numbered 167 million, a full 56.37 million fewer than the 8:298 minutes, 29 secondspost80s generation. The number of people born after 2000 has shrunk further to 158 million, 8.85 85 million fewer than 8:378 minutes, 37 secondsthose born in the 1990s. This census claimed China's population at over 1.4 billion. Even with these inflated 8:448 minutes, 44 secondsfigures, you can see a sharp decline in the number of young people in China. 8:498 minutes, 49 secondsAfter 3 years of the pandemic and subsequent economic recession, China's actual population remains a mystery. We estimate China's actual population to be 8:588 minutes, 58 secondsaround 600 million. The combined forces of population, economy, and prevailing attitudes have led to a decrease in the number of people willing to marry in 9:069 minutes, 6 secondsChina. If they don't even want to marry, they certainly don't want to have children. For the younger generation, they don't need to experience mistakes 9:139 minutes, 13 secondsto learn from them. There are already too many examples among their relatives and friends. 9:219 minutes, 21 secondsMy uncle got divorced and he said he would never get married again in his life. He said he tried and poor people aren't suited for marriage. What seem 9:299 minutes, 29 secondslike emotional conflicts in marriages of ordinary people or poor people are actually 100% about money. 9:359 minutes, 35 seconds[clears throat] It's all because of a lack of money. After marriage, you need money for food, drink, and basic necessities. You need money for social 9:429 minutes, 42 secondsobligations. Then there's the car loan, the mortgage, the next generation, everything requires money. Two people work themselves to the bone for a month 9:509 minutes, 50 secondsand then they don't see a penny left, have nothing left. 9:559 minutes, 55 secondsMiss Hang said she can see the true nature of marriage. When money is tight, life's pressures accumulate. Over time, all the grievances, anger, resentment, 10:0310 minutes, 3 secondsand exhaustion can easily be vented on your partner. You subconsciously feel that your partner is dragging you down and making your life so difficult, naturally leading to conflict. Chapter 7: Industry collapse of wedding firms 10:1610 minutes, 16 secondsAccording to the report from the Ministry of Civil Affairs of China, another change in Chinese marriage is the age of marriage. In 2023, the 10:2310 minutes, 23 secondsnational average age of first marriage reached 30.1 years old. nearly 6 years later than in 2010. In first tier cities like Shanghai and Beijing, the average
age of first marriage is even more dramatic, approaching 35. And this delayed marriage age is also a major reason why more than half of wedding planning companies have closed down. 10:4210 minutes, 42 secondsChinese university graduates typically earn a bachelor's degree at 22. Due to the economic downturn, many people try to take the post-graduate entrance exam 10:5010 minutes, 50 secondsor the civil service exam, pushing many to settle down around the age of 30. The difference between someone who marries at 25 and someone who marries at 31 is 10:5910 minutes, 59 secondsmore than just the age. A 25-year-old having only been in the workforce for a few years still harbors fantasies about weddings and is easily swayed by the 11:0711 minutes, 7 secondsonce-ina-lifetime rhetoric. A 31-year-old having navigated the complexities of life for nearly a decade is extremely rational in their spending. 11:1611 minutes, 16 secondsMany couples simply register their marriage, cancelling the banquet, wedding dress, and the entire planning process. 11:2211 minutes, 22 secondsTherefore, the most striking aspect of this wave of business closures in China, isn't the closure of small stores, but the collapse of former industry leaders. 11:3011 minutes, 30 secondsGalleria, once a giant in one-stop wedding venues, had stores in multiple cities, including Shanghai, Hongjo, Nonjing, and Chong Joe. In late 2024, 11:3911 minutes, 39 secondsits Fujo store suddenly closed, and its Nonjing branch was exposed for owing suppliers and employees over $1 million 11:4511 minutes, 45 secondsin unpaid wages from 2021 to 2024. In 2025, stores in Shanghai, Hong Joe, and Nonjing closed down on mass. The 11:5411 minutes, 54 secondsShanghai store alone affected hundreds of couples with total losses exceeding 1.5 million. Some consumers paid tens of 12:0212 minutes, 2 secondsthousands of dollars in advance only to find the store closed and the owner unreachable a month before their wedding. Platinum wedding photography, 12:1012 minutes, 10 secondswhose advertising slogan, shoot wherever you want, once resonated throughout the country, faced a business crisis in July 12:1612 minutes, 16 seconds2025. As of June 2026, it had been listed as an enforcement target 31 times consecutively with a cumulative 12:2412 minutes, 24 secondsenforcement amount of 33 million in the past year and all of its offline stores were shut down. Even leading players are 12:3112 minutes, 31 secondscollapsing on mass, indicating that the underlying logic of this industry cannot be solved by patching things up. Of course, there are also reasons related to the wedding companies themselves. Chapter 8: State reaction to demographic shifts 12:4112 minutes, 41 secondsAlmost every industry in China follows a similar pattern. When it seems to be thriving, disorderly expansion occurs within the industry. Like the real 12:4912 minutes, 49 secondsestate market, they adopted prepayment models, etc. Therefore, the collapse of these 180,000 wedding planning companies 12:5612 minutes, 56 secondsis actually a classic model of industry collapse in China. A collective awakening among young Chinese people who no longer want to get married, leading 13:0413 minutes, 4 secondsto a drastic change in the external environment and a having of customers, internally disorderly expansion and mass cash flow failures within the industry. 13:1513 minutes, 15 secondsFor the CCP, the closure of these winning planning companies is never a concern. What they are panicking about is the population crisis. Both the 13:2313 minutes, 23 secondscentral and local governments of China are facing debt crisis and simply do not have enough funds to encourage child birth. But the government is too
troubled and too anxious, so it can only come up with some bizarre tricks. For example, on August 6th of this year, Tenzin stationed civil affairs bureau 13:3913 minutes, 39 secondspersonnel in banks and added a service marriage registration. Herf, the capital city of Onway province, set up marriage registration offices at subway 13:4813 minutes, 48 secondsentrances. This led to a collective mockery from Chinese nisonens. Do we not get married because it's inconvenient to get a marriage certificate? One blogger 13:5713 minutes, 57 secondsmade a video mocking that in 2601 the reason Chinese people get married is that they accidentally touch their phone screens in various situations. 14:1014 minutes, 10 secondsMarriage registration ad. Skip, skip. 14:1314 minutes, 13 secondsOops. Oh dear, how did I register already? Skip, skip. Can I cancel it? Chapter 9: Future implications of the crisis 14:1914 minutes, 19 secondsIf the population really shrinks by nearly half, the subways that used to be packed with people in the school district housing that was once impossible to get into will become 14:2714 minutes, 27 secondsdeserted. There will be more public spaces, but fewer young people who generate tax revenue and maintenance funds. In an interview with RFI in 14:3514 minutes, 35 secondsAugust this year, demographer Ephu Shian said, "China's rise to a major world economy is largely due to the demographic dividend created by its 14:4314 minutes, 43 secondsyoung population." However, China now faces a significant population crisis. 14:4814 minutes, 48 secondsSince 2012, China's labor force has been declining, and its economic growth rate has gradually decreased from over 10% to the current officially reported 5%. 14:5714 minutes, 57 secondsThough, it is likely even lower. From 2029 to 2035, all of China's population parameters will indicate an aging population compared to the US. 15:0715 minutes, 7 secondsTherefore, China's economy cannot surpass that of the US. Previously, China's economic growth rate exceeded that of the United States, reaching two 15:1515 minutes, 15 secondsto three times that of the US. The Chinese government's assessment of eastward growth and westward decline was based on flawed population data. Some 15:2315 minutes, 23 secondsmight argue that the US only has a population of over 300 million and Japan only over 100 million. So even if China 15:3015 minutes, 30 secondshad 500 million, would it still be a populous country? But this 500 million population would mean an elderly population. Unlike Western countries, 15:3915 minutes, 39 secondsChina lacks a large-scale immigration policy which cannot offset the impact of population decline. In fact, our channel shows that China is currently experiencing the following two trends. 15:5015 minutes, 50 secondsFirst, a shrinking labor force is jeopardizing China's manufacturing and service industries. With a decrease in workers and consumers, Chinese demand 15:5815 minutes, 58 secondshas fallen sharply. Combined with other factors, this has forced the CCP to rely on massive dumping of exports to maintain the economy. Second, there is 16:0616 minutes, 6 secondspressure on pensions and healthcare. An aging population leads to increased healthare and pension burdens. The system already faces the risk of 16:1416 minutes, 14 secondsunsustainability because too few young workers contribute to social security. 16:1916 minutes, 19 secondsRural areas in particular face a severe shortage of elderly care services. Of course, there are many more consequences, but due to time
6 comments:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxp6p51uV20
China’s population crisis is coming: Single by choice has become the mainstream among Chinese youth Oct 2, 2026 #Chinadeepdive
China’s marriage crisis is becoming impossible to ignore. More young Chinese people are choosing to remain single or delay marriage as they face high housing costs, bride prices, long working hours, job insecurity, and the rising cost of raising children. As marriage registrations continue to fall, China’s once-booming wedding industry is also shrinking, with thousands of businesses closing and even former industry leaders struggling to survive.
But the deeper issue is China’s accelerating population crisis. Fewer marriages mean fewer births, a shrinking workforce, and a rapidly aging society—putting growing pressure on economic growth, consumer demand, pensions, healthcare, and local government finances. This video explores why an increasing number of young Chinese are opting out of marriage and how this generational shift could reshape China’s future. Comments @ronnelacido1711 11 hours ago Wise choice for these 'no-marriage' individuals. If you can barely support yourself, why take on the responsibility of getting more mouths to feed? (Indians should learn in order not to cry) @theone8254 11 hours ago Marriage in China is a business. (like India)
@Nightkids60 8 hours ago my retirement is to have a few robots taking care of me. (Is it possible for future pensioners of financial sector) @anestesyolog 9 hours ago பிரச்சனை பணமல்ல, மாறாக உயர்கல்விதான். அது மக்களைப் பெருநகரங்களில் தங்கள் அற்ப வேலைக்காகப் பெரும் பணத்தைக் கனவு காணும் முட்டாள் சோம்பேறிகளாக மாற்றிவிடுகிறது.
@wheezysqueezebox7651 6 hours ago If you're working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., 6 days a week, and barely making ends meet, you don't have the time, or the money raise a child! 🍯 @darkflame031 8 hours ago what is the point of living???? what is the point of working many hours and money not enough to buy a house and make family?(Poor Iindians should think on these lines instead Caste and Religion) @dannyday5391 10 hours ago Last generation! That was the cry during Covid when they were locked in their homes by the CCP. They are not going to give the CCP the next generation of slaves. (CCP can't be destroyed in near future)
@clintpot8521 11 hours ago The idea that the world is overpopulated is so silly at this point. China alone has lost almost a billion people with 2 generations of 1 child policy, and many parts of the world are below replacement birth rates. With modern technology, we could easily house the entire population of the world in a land mass about the size of Alaska. (Indians are awaiting such a situation in that land of Utopia) Transcript: Chapter 1: The rising trend of singleness
0:022 secondsIf you're around 30, unmarried, childless, and even too lazy to date, don't feel sorry for yourself. You're just incredibly lucky, like your
0:099 seconds[clears throat] ancestors were blessed with good fortune. Look at those married men, mortgages, car loans, baby formula, school district housing. They're
0:1717 secondspractically human ATMs. Wives complain you neglect your family. Husbands complain you spend too much. If the child gets sick, the couple immediately starts fighting. And then look at you.
0:2828 secondsYou spend your salary as you please.
0:3030 secondsSleep on the weekends. Eat skewers when you want. Play games when you want. What kind of idyllic lifestyle are you living? You've retired early, my friend.
0:3939 secondsSince ancient times, Chinese people have considered marriage one of life's four great joys. It's surprising that in 2026, not getting married is considered
the greatest fortune in life by young Chinese people. However, this is terrifying for the CCP. In fact, China's population crisis has arrived and its
0:5656 secondsconsequences will be far more severe than imagined. In this video, we'll examine the current mindset of young Chinese people and predict how the
1:041 minute, 4 secondspopulation crisis will profoundly impact this country.
Chapter 2: Personal perspectives on marriage
1:091 minute, 9 secondsThe following honest words from a man and a woman can represent those who choose to stay away from marriage.
1:161 minute, 16 secondsTell me, what do men like you who are 40 and unmarried think? Don't want to take responsibility, but this not wanting to take responsibility might be a little different from what people think.
1:291 minute, 29 secondsAfter you have children, can you provide the life you want for them? Because those of us in education know that raising a child is not easy. Raising a
1:361 minute, 36 secondsgood child is even more difficult. So, the responsibility you have for your offspring, for your partner, is very heavy. So, I might only do this when I
1:441 minute, 44 secondstruly have the financial resources and the ability.
1:501 minute, 50 secondsWill a girl who never gets married suffer terribly in her old age? I'm 30 years old, unmarried, and don't want to get married. I live alone in Hainan. A
1:591 minute, 59 secondscouple of days ago, I video chatted with my family and my mother said, "You can't stay alone forever. You should find someone to marry, otherwise you'll have
2:072 minutes, 7 secondsno one to take care of you when you're sick." But I don't think marriage and having someone to take care of you when you're sick are necessarily related.
2:142 minutes, 14 secondsPeople can't resist the natural law of aging. Your body will definitely break down when you get older. Does getting married mean you won't get old?
2:242 minutes, 24 secondsThis blogger Linger said that by then your partner might pass away before you or one day you might have to take care of your bedridden spouse. She doesn't
2:322 minutes, 32 secondsagree with the view that married people have children to take care of them when they're old. She asked, "How many children these days can stay home and take care of their sick parents who need
2:412 minutes, 41 secondslong-term companionship? How strong is the trend of Chinese people, especially young people, being unwilling to get married? An entire industry has already
Chapter 3: Market decline and social shifts
2:502 minutes, 50 secondsbeen destroyed." According to data from Tien Cha, a Chinese business information platform, the number of wedding and travel photography related companies
2:582 minutes, 58 secondsthat had their licenses revoked in China over the past 3 years reached 186,000.
3:043 minutes, 4 secondsThe overall industry size shrank from 3.74 trillion yuan in 2019 to 2.84 trillion yuan in 2024, a decrease of
3:133 minutes, 13 secondsnearly 25%. While there are still 2.9 million registered wedding companies nationwide, only 1.62 million are
3:203 minutes, 20 secondsactually operating normally, meaning nearly half have exited the market.
3:253 minutes, 25 secondsThe foundation of the wedding industry is the marriage population. According to the marriage registration statistics bulletin from the Ministry of Civil
3:333 minutes, 33 secondsAffairs of China, 13.469 million couples registered for marriage nationwide in 2013, setting an historical peak. This
3:423 minutes, 42 secondsnumber declined for 12 consecutive years, reaching only 6.106 million couples in 2024, the lowest in 44 years
3:503 minutes, 50 secondssince 1980. In just 10 years, the customer base has been hald. In the first quarter of 2026, there were 1.697
3:583 minutes, 58 secondsmillion couples. a year-on-year decrease of 6.24%.
Chinese media reported that a survey covering 28 cities in 2026 showed that over 62% of those born in the 1990s and
4:094 minutes, 9 seconds2000s believe that marriage is not a necessary choice in life. 5 years ago, this figure was only 38%. The work
4:174 minutes, 17 secondsintensity of Chinese people is worldrenowned. Even official data shows that the average weekly working hours for enterprises nationwide reached 48.1
4:254 minutes, 25 secondshours. This data reveals that a group of workers inevitably work more than the legally mandated hours. 996 is the norm
4:334 minutes, 33 secondsfor many Chinese workers, and some even work 007, meaning from midnight to midnight, 7 days a week, representing a
4:404 minutes, 40 seconds24-hour availability and continuous work without fixed off hours or rest days.
Chapter 4: Economic barriers to marriage
4:454 minutes, 45 secondsEven more serious is the economic aspect.
4:504 minutes, 50 secondsLet me tell you the harsh truth. Without parental support, it's virtually impossible for a man to get married in China on his own. Let's do the math to
4:584 minutes, 58 secondssee just how difficult it is for a man to get married in China. Assuming a man graduates, starts working at 23, and earns $1,400 a month, spending half and
5:085 minutes, 8 secondssaving the other half. After 5 years at 28, he'll have saved a total of $45,000.
5:145 minutes, 14 secondsBut in many places, this amount is barely enough to pay the bride price. In other words, it's just enough to barely meet the threshold for a marriage. The
5:225 minutes, 22 secondsblogger says that in many cities the women not only demands a bride price but also a car and a condo. For a young person just entering society, this is
5:305 minutes, 30 secondsalmost mission impossible. Marriage is just the beginning. The cost of maintaining a family and raising children are equally high. The China
5:375 minutes, 37 secondsfertility cost report 2024 shows that the average cost of raising a child aged 0 to 17 nationwide is $80,000. In some
5:465 minutes, 46 secondshigh tier cities like Shanghai, it exceeds 150,000. Under heavy economic pressure, the views of young people in China are completely different from
5:555 minutes, 55 secondsthose of their parents. This blogger, Hang Wien, is no longer swayed by her mother's opinions.
6:046 minutes, 4 secondsMy mom said something today. If you don't get married and have children, what's the point of living?
6:116 minutes, 11 secondsActually, in most people's minds, marriage inevitably means having children. These two things are inseparable. after having children a lot
6:186 minutes, 18 secondsof time money and energy must be invested in them. So as a cow or horse if I find another cow or horse and have another little cow or horse and then the
6:276 minutes, 27 secondsthree of us can live a happy life. Is that possible? Actually I don't have time to think about these things. I just don't have the time or energy to think about them.
6:376 minutes, 37 secondsCow or horse is a self-deprecating term used by Chinese laborers including bluecollar and white collar workers meaning people who live as hard as a cow
6:456 minutes, 45 secondsor horse. Some young people have offered a more insightful summary of why they don't want to get married.
Chapter 5: A shift in social mindset
6:536 minutes, 53 secondsThe essence of not wanting to get married is actually poverty. It's not enough money. Because of insufficient money, we don't want to add another
7:007 minutesfamily, another burden. Having to divert money that's already insufficient for ourselves to support children in a family is extremely painful. Therefore,
7:087 minutes, 8 secondswe essentially don't want to get married because we don't want to suffer, toil, or poverty. In fact, because our current single lives are already unbearable and
chaotic, we certainly don't want to enter into marriage, we know that marriage will become an even bigger vortex. Faced with soaring housing
7:247 minutes, 24 secondsprices and exorbitant bride prices, many young men are also beginning to adjust their mindset. They no longer feel inferior, but are adapting to a future
7:337 minutes, 33 secondswithout marriage with a more positive attitude.
7:387 minutes, 38 secondsIt's not shameful at all to not be able to afford a wedding, a house, or a bride price. So whenever I see many guys feeling guilty and inferior because they
7:467 minutes, 46 secondscan't afford the so-called conditions for their future mother-in-laws, it's completely unnecessary because you know it's very obvious that anyone with a
7:537 minutes, 53 secondsmodiccom of intelligence can see that the conditions and requirements for marriage now are beyond the capacity of ordinary people. In other words, young
8:028 minutes, 2 secondspeople in their 20s today don't need to bear such immense pressure for marriage.
8:068 minutes, 6 secondsIt's already beyond our capacity to cope. China's population is already declining.
Chapter 6: Population crisis and its causes
8:138 minutes, 13 secondsAccording to China's 7th national census in 2020, the post80s generation totaled 223 million, making it the largest
8:208 minutes, 20 secondsgeneration in China. The post90s generation only numbered 167 million, a full 56.37 million fewer than the
8:298 minutes, 29 secondspost80s generation. The number of people born after 2000 has shrunk further to 158 million, 8.85 85 million fewer than
8:378 minutes, 37 secondsthose born in the 1990s. This census claimed China's population at over 1.4 billion. Even with these inflated
8:448 minutes, 44 secondsfigures, you can see a sharp decline in the number of young people in China.
8:498 minutes, 49 secondsAfter 3 years of the pandemic and subsequent economic recession, China's actual population remains a mystery. We estimate China's actual population to be
8:588 minutes, 58 secondsaround 600 million. The combined forces of population, economy, and prevailing attitudes have led to a decrease in the number of people willing to marry in
9:069 minutes, 6 secondsChina. If they don't even want to marry, they certainly don't want to have children. For the younger generation, they don't need to experience mistakes
9:139 minutes, 13 secondsto learn from them. There are already too many examples among their relatives and friends.
9:219 minutes, 21 secondsMy uncle got divorced and he said he would never get married again in his life. He said he tried and poor people aren't suited for marriage. What seem
9:299 minutes, 29 secondslike emotional conflicts in marriages of ordinary people or poor people are actually 100% about money.
9:359 minutes, 35 seconds[clears throat] It's all because of a lack of money. After marriage, you need money for food, drink, and basic necessities. You need money for social
9:429 minutes, 42 secondsobligations. Then there's the car loan, the mortgage, the next generation, everything requires money. Two people work themselves to the bone for a month
9:509 minutes, 50 secondsand then they don't see a penny left, have nothing left.
9:559 minutes, 55 secondsMiss Hang said she can see the true nature of marriage. When money is tight, life's pressures accumulate. Over time, all the grievances, anger, resentment,
10:0310 minutes, 3 secondsand exhaustion can easily be vented on your partner. You subconsciously feel that your partner is dragging you down and making your life so difficult, naturally leading to conflict.
Chapter 7: Industry collapse of wedding firms
10:1610 minutes, 16 secondsAccording to the report from the Ministry of Civil Affairs of China, another change in Chinese marriage is the age of marriage. In 2023, the
10:2310 minutes, 23 secondsnational average age of first marriage reached 30.1 years old. nearly 6 years later than in 2010. In first tier cities like Shanghai and Beijing, the average
age of first marriage is even more dramatic, approaching 35. And this delayed marriage age is also a major reason why more than half of wedding planning companies have closed down.
10:4210 minutes, 42 secondsChinese university graduates typically earn a bachelor's degree at 22. Due to the economic downturn, many people try to take the post-graduate entrance exam
10:5010 minutes, 50 secondsor the civil service exam, pushing many to settle down around the age of 30. The difference between someone who marries at 25 and someone who marries at 31 is
10:5910 minutes, 59 secondsmore than just the age. A 25-year-old having only been in the workforce for a few years still harbors fantasies about weddings and is easily swayed by the
11:0711 minutes, 7 secondsonce-ina-lifetime rhetoric. A 31-year-old having navigated the complexities of life for nearly a decade is extremely rational in their spending.
11:1611 minutes, 16 secondsMany couples simply register their marriage, cancelling the banquet, wedding dress, and the entire planning process.
11:2211 minutes, 22 secondsTherefore, the most striking aspect of this wave of business closures in China, isn't the closure of small stores, but the collapse of former industry leaders.
11:3011 minutes, 30 secondsGalleria, once a giant in one-stop wedding venues, had stores in multiple cities, including Shanghai, Hongjo, Nonjing, and Chong Joe. In late 2024,
11:3911 minutes, 39 secondsits Fujo store suddenly closed, and its Nonjing branch was exposed for owing suppliers and employees over $1 million
11:4511 minutes, 45 secondsin unpaid wages from 2021 to 2024. In 2025, stores in Shanghai, Hong Joe, and Nonjing closed down on mass. The
11:5411 minutes, 54 secondsShanghai store alone affected hundreds of couples with total losses exceeding 1.5 million. Some consumers paid tens of
12:0212 minutes, 2 secondsthousands of dollars in advance only to find the store closed and the owner unreachable a month before their wedding. Platinum wedding photography,
12:1012 minutes, 10 secondswhose advertising slogan, shoot wherever you want, once resonated throughout the country, faced a business crisis in July
12:1612 minutes, 16 seconds2025. As of June 2026, it had been listed as an enforcement target 31 times consecutively with a cumulative
12:2412 minutes, 24 secondsenforcement amount of 33 million in the past year and all of its offline stores were shut down. Even leading players are
12:3112 minutes, 31 secondscollapsing on mass, indicating that the underlying logic of this industry cannot be solved by patching things up. Of course, there are also reasons related to the wedding companies themselves.
Chapter 8: State reaction to demographic shifts
12:4112 minutes, 41 secondsAlmost every industry in China follows a similar pattern. When it seems to be thriving, disorderly expansion occurs within the industry. Like the real
12:4912 minutes, 49 secondsestate market, they adopted prepayment models, etc. Therefore, the collapse of these 180,000 wedding planning companies
12:5612 minutes, 56 secondsis actually a classic model of industry collapse in China. A collective awakening among young Chinese people who no longer want to get married, leading
13:0413 minutes, 4 secondsto a drastic change in the external environment and a having of customers, internally disorderly expansion and mass cash flow failures within the industry.
13:1513 minutes, 15 secondsFor the CCP, the closure of these winning planning companies is never a concern. What they are panicking about is the population crisis. Both the
13:2313 minutes, 23 secondscentral and local governments of China are facing debt crisis and simply do not have enough funds to encourage child birth. But the government is too
troubled and too anxious, so it can only come up with some bizarre tricks. For example, on August 6th of this year, Tenzin stationed civil affairs bureau
13:3913 minutes, 39 secondspersonnel in banks and added a service marriage registration. Herf, the capital city of Onway province, set up marriage registration offices at subway
13:4813 minutes, 48 secondsentrances. This led to a collective mockery from Chinese nisonens. Do we not get married because it's inconvenient to get a marriage certificate? One blogger
13:5713 minutes, 57 secondsmade a video mocking that in 2601 the reason Chinese people get married is that they accidentally touch their phone screens in various situations.
14:1014 minutes, 10 secondsMarriage registration ad. Skip, skip.
14:1314 minutes, 13 secondsOops. Oh dear, how did I register already? Skip, skip. Can I cancel it?
Chapter 9: Future implications of the crisis
14:1914 minutes, 19 secondsIf the population really shrinks by nearly half, the subways that used to be packed with people in the school district housing that was once impossible to get into will become
14:2714 minutes, 27 secondsdeserted. There will be more public spaces, but fewer young people who generate tax revenue and maintenance funds. In an interview with RFI in
14:3514 minutes, 35 secondsAugust this year, demographer Ephu Shian said, "China's rise to a major world economy is largely due to the demographic dividend created by its
14:4314 minutes, 43 secondsyoung population." However, China now faces a significant population crisis.
14:4814 minutes, 48 secondsSince 2012, China's labor force has been declining, and its economic growth rate has gradually decreased from over 10% to the current officially reported 5%.
14:5714 minutes, 57 secondsThough, it is likely even lower. From 2029 to 2035, all of China's population parameters will indicate an aging population compared to the US.
15:0715 minutes, 7 secondsTherefore, China's economy cannot surpass that of the US. Previously, China's economic growth rate exceeded that of the United States, reaching two
15:1515 minutes, 15 secondsto three times that of the US. The Chinese government's assessment of eastward growth and westward decline was based on flawed population data. Some
15:2315 minutes, 23 secondsmight argue that the US only has a population of over 300 million and Japan only over 100 million. So even if China
15:3015 minutes, 30 secondshad 500 million, would it still be a populous country? But this 500 million population would mean an elderly population. Unlike Western countries,
15:3915 minutes, 39 secondsChina lacks a large-scale immigration policy which cannot offset the impact of population decline. In fact, our channel shows that China is currently experiencing the following two trends.
15:5015 minutes, 50 secondsFirst, a shrinking labor force is jeopardizing China's manufacturing and service industries. With a decrease in workers and consumers, Chinese demand
15:5815 minutes, 58 secondshas fallen sharply. Combined with other factors, this has forced the CCP to rely on massive dumping of exports to maintain the economy. Second, there is
16:0616 minutes, 6 secondspressure on pensions and healthcare. An aging population leads to increased healthare and pension burdens. The system already faces the risk of
16:1416 minutes, 14 secondsunsustainability because too few young workers contribute to social security.
16:1916 minutes, 19 secondsRural areas in particular face a severe shortage of elderly care services. Of course, there are many more consequences, but due to time
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