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Young Chinese facing ‘life pressure’ resist government push to boost marriage rate

The streets around Beijing’s iconic Forbidden City are often filled with brides and grooms, posing for wedding photos against auspicious red backdrops in a place that strongly reflects Chinese culture and tradition.

© Wang Chun

A medical worker taking care of a baby at a hospital in Lianyungang, in east China's Jiangsu province, in October.

© Fred Dufour

A university in Beijing where students enrolled for China’s first marriage-related degree program in March 2025.

© Fred Dufour

Both marriage and parenthood appear to be losing appeal to young Chinese as they fret over fierce job competition, slowing economic growth and a lack of work-life balance.

© Fred Dufour

A bride poses during a wedding photo shoot near the Forbidden City in Beijing in March 2025.
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