China's Birth Rate Plummets: Why Fewer Women Are Choosing Marriage and Motherhood

• China's birth rate has halved in a decade, from 16.5 million in 2015 to under 8 million, pushing the country into rapid demographic decline.
• A key factor is the delay or avoidance of marriage; 30% of 30-year-olds were unmarried in 2023, up from 14.5% a decade prior, directly impacting births as out-of-wedlock children are rare.
• Economic struggles, including a tough job market for youth and a property downturn, make starting a family financially challenging and risky.
• Gender inequality persists, with women bearing the brunt of unpaid work and caregiving, leading many to view motherhood as a career penalty, despite women being more educated on average.
• Social media amplifies tensions between genders, with men complaining about financial expectations and women sharing stories of careers derailed by family responsibilities, while government incentives have had limited impact.

Why It Matters: Economic pressures, gender inequality, and changing social norms are driving China's plummeting birth rate.