How the marriage market works in China, where parents announce their children The drop in the number of marriages among young Chinese people is no longer just a change in behavior and is now a concern for the country's government. Amid the accelerated aging of the population and the reduction in the number of births, Beijing sees the formation of new families as an important piece to contain the demographic crisis that threatens the economy in the coming decades. The scenario helps explain why traditions like Shanghai's marriage market, where parents advertise their unmarried children in search of suitors, continue to exist. Despite this, they have lost strength in the face of a generation that increasingly values ??independence and personal fulfillment. 'Resumés for marriage': discover the Chinese market in which parents advertise their single children According to a survey cited in the report, for 70% of Chinese women born after 1990, getting married is not a priority. Among men, 32% also say that marriage is no longer the first place in their plans. The move poses a challenge for the Chinese government, which is facing a continued population decline. The report highlights that, by 2035, China could lose a number of inhabitants equivalent to the population of France, reducing the workforce and increasing pressure on the pension system. 70% of women born after 1990 say that marriage is not a priority in China Reproduction/TV Globo Female independence has changed the scenario One of the factors identified for the transformation is the greater independence of Chinese women. With greater access to the job market and financial autonomy, many began to reject the idea that marriage is an obligatory stage in life. "The truth is that we no longer depend on men for anything", says a young woman interviewed in the report. For the generation born after the 2000s, affinity and compatibility began to weigh more than assets or financial stability when choosing a partner. The report also shows that some women prefer to remain single if they don't find someone they really identify with. Legacy of the one-child policy China still lives with another effect of decisions taken in the past. The one-child policy, which was in force between 1980 and 2015 to contain population growth, caused a major imbalance between men and women. According to the report, many families resorted to selective abortion of girls or gave them up for adoption, creating a shortage of millions of women of marriageable age. The result is a marriage market with many more men looking for partners than available women. Government tries to encourage marriage Concern about the low marriage rate also appears in the official discourse. The government created the term "left-behind women" to refer to single women over the age of 27 in an attempt to encourage marriage and family formation. For many Chinese women, however, the strategy reinforces social pressures that no longer make sense given the new reality. While the government seeks to encourage marriages and births to face the demographic crisis, the number of young people who place freedom, career and quality of life above traditional expectations is growing. How the marriage market works in China, where parents announce their children as single Reproduction/TV Globo GloboPop: click to see the videos from the Fantástico stage Listen to the Fantástico podcasts ISSO É FANTÁSTICO The Isso É Fantástico podcast is available on g1 and the main podcast apps, bringing great reports, investigations and fascinating stories on podcast with the Fantástico journalism seal: depth, context and information. Follow, like or subscribe to Isso É Fantástico on your favorite podcast player. Every Sunday there's a new episode.