China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs has put forward a draft law to combat the nation's decreasing birthrate, which has become a pressing issue since deaths exceeded births in the country for the first time in 2022.
The legislation seeks to streamline the marriage process by cutting down on the number of documents needed for a license and removing the requirement to travel to one's hometown to note the wedding in family registries.
Divorces under the new system will be subject to a 30-day waiting period that will allow any party to unilaterally terminate the request.
The number of marriages in China has declined for nine consecutive years, driven by uncertainties about financial futures, rising costs of raising children, more women prioritizing careers, and a significant gender imbalance resulting from the previous one-child policy that caused a decades-long preference for male babies.
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