this post was submitted on 12 Feb 2025
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Summary

China's marriage rate hit a record low in 2024, with only 6.1 million marriages, a 20% drop from 2023 and the lowest since records began in 1986.

Rising costs, youth unemployment, changing gender roles, and a growing preference for single life contribute to the trend. Government incentives to boost marriage and birth rates have largely failed.

Social attitudes are shifting, with less family pressure to marry, skepticism over restrictive divorce laws, and calls for same-sex marriage recognition.

Experts warn this decline could accelerate China’s demographic and economic challenges.

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[–] [email protected] 89 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (3 children)

Many commenters also cited the controversial introduction of a divorce cooling-off period in 2021, making them wary of the “easy entry and strict exit” for marriage.

I had missed the introduction of this in 2021.

"The law requires couples who are mutually seeking a divorce to wait for 30 days before formalising it. If the couples don’t show up for two appointments between 30 and 60 days after applying, their application is automatically cancelled."

"In February Chinese media reported fully booked appointment slots in Shenzhen, Shanghai and other cities, with some being sold by scalpers."

source

That would certainly be a disincentive to get married if you could not get out of it if you needed to.

[–] [email protected] 55 points 1 month ago

They reward increasing the number of people who are formally married, rather than the number of stable couples.
Such a wonderful example of misaligned incentives, only a politician could come up with it.

[–] [email protected] 37 points 1 month ago (4 children)

In the great state of Wisconsin, there is a 120 day waiting period after filing and paying the Clerk of the Circuit Court. After the 120 days then you can obtain a date for a final court hearing before it becomes legally accepted

So it could be much worse. It could be Wisconsin

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Does Wisconsin require showing up for two or more “appointments” during those 120 days?

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 month ago

Yea from what I can tell, it's the same but worse

First before you even have the wait period you must go to court in order to file for the waiting period to begin. Additionally you have to pay a fee to even begin the wait process

After the 120 days is up, you have a period of time to gather docs and obtain a court date for the final hearing. Failing to prepare during this period or engage the court for the final hearing will likely restart the entire process including waiting another 120 days and having to file and pay the fee with the Circuit Court

I honestly can't tell from the article what "appointment" means but it sure seems synonymous with us having to go to court multiple times to initiate the process and conclude it

If I replace court appearances with appointment to align with the article. Then in WI you have a bare minimum of two appointments. If you have kids or need petitions for support to go through with the motion. You can have up to four appointments. Not acknowledging you may be forced to complete parenting courses before the final hearing is allowed to occur

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago (2 children)

It's wrong, but I don't see it as a big deal either. If someone is escaping an abusive marriage, and can escape, being legally married carries no weight. And that's the worst case scenario.

Ex and I split amicably (mostly), went our separate ways. We were married for a couple of years afterwards because we were too lazy to pull the trigger.

Are there situations where waiting 4-months hurts someone?

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 month ago (1 children)

If someone is escaping an abusive marriage, and can escape, being legally married carries no weight.

Other than the fact that an abuser can just hold all your property hostage for 4 months and leave you with either A) no legal claim to your belongings or B) no choice but to return to your abuser?

Are there situations where waiting 4-months hurts someone?

Why should be not be as easy to exit a contract as it is to enter one?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago

How does being married or not change that? Say I beat my wife and she runs away. She can get a police escort to get some of her things. I've been on the escorted end of that scenario. (Obviously they won't wait for a moving service.)

no legal claim to your belongings

So you're saying the law considers everything in a home the property of the person remaining, if they're married? You should meet some people going through a divorce. It ain't like that.

Of course it should be easy to divorce. My first two words: "It's wrong..."

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Being legally married carries weight.

I have no idea how you think it doesn't.

Your amblicable split is not an example of how the process of a divorce with an abusive partner. It's the furtherest it can get.

Absolutely dumbfounded here.

If this wasn't trolling or sarcasm, you are not a clearly not wise person. I'm sorry if I'm the first to let you know.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

All that and you can't provide a single example of consequences? That's literally all I asked for.

The point of my anecdote was that nothing changed in our lives despite remaining married.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

Your post would be more valuable if you did not directly insult them at the end. Im not sure why you made that choice.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Of living separated, though (if you don't have the funds for that disentangling as far as possible will suffice), which is waived in nasty circumstances. You can in principle divorce within minutes of filing if the court has a slow day, can squeeze you in, and you have all your paperwork in order. But the judge will want to see some kind of proof that the marriage actually failed for good, that you can't be reconciled. Oh, if kids are involved it's bound to take a couple of days as the judge will interview every single one of them.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

North Carolina, it is a year.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 month ago

Any system is bad when scalping becomes a thing.