2015年CRI Chinese Couples Still Favor Marriage at 26

 

The report shows the current average age at which Chinese people get married remains¹ at 26.

About 75 percent of men got married between the ages of 25 and 34, while more than 90 per cent of women found their husbands before turning 30 years old.

Close to 55 percent of those surveyed got to know their spouses² with the help of friends, while people born after 1980 depended more on the internet to find their match, more than any other age groups.

Sociologist⁴ Li Song says attitudes towards marriage among Chinese people have changed over the past decades.

"People born in the 1960s are more eager to have a stable life, spouses born in the next decade think more about how to improve marriage. The post-1980s generation appear to be more romantic, while those born after 1990 want more recognition from their marriage partners."

The report shows most couples still follow the tradition that wives do most of the housework while husbands think more about the family's financial status.

The rate of pre-marriage cohabitation among couples born after 1980 exceeds 57 percent, 10 percent higher than in earlier generations.

Contrary to expectations, only around 15 percent of those surveyed considered wealth a key criteria⁵ for selecting a spouse³, while more than 90 percent said that they put more emphasis on a sense of responsibility and emotional intelligence when looking for a potential partner.

Sociologist Li Song says there is something that can be found in every happy family.

"Couples with a strong sense of happiness usually spend much more time together raising and educating their children. They share equal responsibility when dealing⁶ with family matters and taking care of their parents."

The survey results also show that just over 45 percent of respondents married partners from their own area, a figure that has decreased during China's urbanization process.

As expected, loyalty⁷ is still seen as the most important factor for maintaining a healthy marriage.

More than 80 percent of those surveyed said they had never considered divorce.

Love and marriage expert Chen Xu suggests, besides mutual⁸ trust, responsibility is also vital for a stable marriage.

"People, especially those at a young age, should take it seriously when making the decision to get married or have a baby. Divorce is not a perfect option in the face of a marriage crisis. Young people should learn to be more responsible after getting married."

The report was published by the China Association of Marriage and Family Studies.

Over 10,000 responses were collected, spanning 10 major Chinese cities, including Beijing and Guangzhou.

For CRI, I'm Luo Yu.

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 spouses   

n.配偶，夫或妻( spouse的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Jobs are available for spouses on campus and in the community. 校园里和社区里有配偶可做的工作。 来自辞典例句
• An astonishing number of spouses-most particularly in the upper-income brackets-have no close notion of their husbands'paychecks. 相当大一部分妇女——特别在高收入阶层——并不很了解他们丈夫的薪金。 来自辞典例句

3 spouse   

n.配偶(指夫或妻)

参考例句：

• Her spouse will come to see her on Sunday.她的丈夫星期天要来看她。
• What is the best way to keep your spouse happy in the marriage?在婚姻中保持配偶幸福的最好方法是什么？

4 sociologist   

n.研究社会学的人，社会学家

参考例句：

• His mother was a sociologist,researching socialism.他的母亲是个社会学家，研究社会主义。
• Max Weber is a great and outstanding sociologist.马克斯·韦伯是一位伟大的、杰出的社会学家。

5 criteria   

n.标准

参考例句：

• The main criterion is value for money.主要的标准是钱要用得划算。
• There are strict criteria for inclusion in the competition.参赛的标准很严格。

6 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

7 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

8 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。