Chinese university announces marriage-related degree in effort to boost declining birth rate

China continues to battle declining birth rates and record low marriage rates – but the latest move has prompted widespread ridicule on social media in the country

Research points to a close link between marriage rates and new birth rates in China (AFP via Getty Images)

China’s Civil Affairs University has announced a new marriage programme to promote and develop marriage-related culture, as the country renews efforts to rebuild falling birth rates.

The undergraduate programme, set to open in the Beijing institution this September, seeks to “cultivate professionals to develop marriage related industries and culture”, according to state media.

A fall in birth rates has prompted a population decrease in China for the second consecutive year, with marriage rates believed to be closely linked to increased births.

This decline comes despite China lifting its one-child policy in 2016 to allow couples to have a second child, before increasing it to three in 2021.

The Chinese Civil Affairs University is linked with the government’s Ministry of Civil Affairs, pictured (N509FZ/Wiki)

In 2022 marriages in China hit a record low after a downward trend lasting almost a decade, while 2023 saw the birth rate drop dramatically to half of the 2016 rate.

But there was an uptick in marriages last year, as the number of new marriages increased by 12.4 percent on the previous year - but some demographers suggested this was largely due to the backlog in marriages following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Chinese policy makes marriage a requirement for couples who wish to have children, with parents needing to produce a marriage certificate to register a baby and receive benefits - a right which single woman and LGBT+ couples are not entitled to.

But the new degree programme at the Civil Affairs University has drawn widespread condemnation on social media, who see the degree as pointless in an era of declining marriage rates.

The course aims to “highlight China’s positive marriage and family culture to students and the public and advancing reform of China’s marriage customs", and will take on 70 students from 12 provinces this year.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang is leading efforts to increase the marriage rate and reduce the birth rate (Getty Images)

They will cover topics including "family counselling, high-end wedding planning and the development of matchmaking products” in the degree, which is called Marriage Services and Management.

Earlier this year China announced improved policies to promote childbirth as a government report said the regime would create a “birth-friendly society and promote long term, balanced population development".

Such policies would include "refining parental leave policies, improving the mechanism for sharing the related labour costs of employers and increasing the supply of childcare services”, a report from Chinese Premier Li Qiang read.

Previous efforts to boost the birthrate have included expanded maternity leave for women, increased financial and tax benefits along with housing subsidies.

Despite efforts to increase birth rate, the course was ridiculed on Chinese social media platform Weibo, with one saying: “This industry is not just a sunset, it’s doomsday.”

Another quipped that it is “time to start a state-owned marriage agency”, while a third suggested that such a degree was the perfect recipe for “unemployment after graduation”.

Young people may be avoiding marriage due to bad job prospects and low consumer confidence as a result of China’s slowing economy.