In view of the declining population in China, the government has taken a new initiative. Now in many provinces, the marriage leave has been increased from 3 days to 30 days. The government's aim is that people should get married, have children and keep the population balanced. This policy has been brought to encourage marriage and increasing the family.
The Chinese government is now openly telling its citizens to quit work, get married and have children. China, worried about the declining population, is now giving various concessions to the youth to get married and have children. In many provinces of the country, the marriage leave has been increased from 3 days to 30 days.
China's most populous province of Sichuan has increased the marriage leave from 3 to 20 days. If you also get a medical checkup done before marriage, then you will get 5 more days of leave. That means a total of 25 days of leave, that too with full salary. This proposal is currently open for public opinion till the month of June.
Why did we have to give this holiday gift?
Even in Shandong province, which is called the land of Confucius, the marriage leave has now been increased to 18 days. Provinces like Shanxi and Gansu have further increased it to 30 days. At present, there is a provision of only 3 days marriage leave at the central level in China, which has been in place since 1980.
In fact, the number of people getting married in China is continuously decreasing. In the first quarter of 2025, only 1.81 million couples registered their marriage, which is 8% less than last year. After a slight increase in 2023, the figures fell again and now this level is the lowest since 1980.
Fewer marriages, fewer children
Fewer marriages are directly linked to the declining birth rate. Experts believe that now young people do not want to get married unless they have to plan for a child. On top of that, the busyness in studies and career, and the thought of personal freedom have further weakened the concept of traditional marriage.
What is the government doing?
China is now making the process of marriage registration easier. Now marriage can be registered in any city, there is no need for Hukou (household registration). Along with this, maternity and paternity leave is also being increased. However, some people fear that due to economic pressure, all these leaves may remain only on paper. Keeping this in mind, the government is also talking about giving help to the companies.
