The Chinese wedding industry is worth a reported $27 billion annually. With its rich history colliding into its rapid modernization, the wedding industry has never been stronger, despite volatile marriage rates.
The industry alone employs over 100,000 people for over 15,000 businesses across the country.
With its diverse cultures, steadfast traditions and large population, how many weddings actually happen in China every year? While the data is sometimes unclear, we will do our best to unpack the Chinese wedding industry.
Quick Chinese Wedding Facts
Below is 7 important facts about Chinese weddings:
- There are approximately 7.68 million weddings taking place annually in China
- Over 10,000 couples get married every single day
- The average cost of a traditional Chinese wedding can range from ¥50,000-200,000, $7,000 to $27,500
- 91,000 weddings took place in Beijing in 2022
- Over 1.27 million couples filed for divorce
- According to the latest data, 3.43 million people got married in the first half of 2024, a record low since 1980
- As with all forms of Chinese culture, the color red is considered auspicious.Red envelopes (known as red pockets) filled with money are traditionally gifted on the wedding day
Below we take a look at the data in order to get a better understanding of Chinese weddings statistics and how many weddings actually occur annually.
How Many People Get Married in China Per Year?
According to the latest data available, there were approximately 7.68 million weddings per year in China in 2023. This is an increase from 6.83 million in 2022 [1].
In general, it is seen that the number of people getting married per year in China is declining. The recent uptick in weddings is likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic rebound. In the first half of 2024, 3.4 million weddings took place. This is compared to 3.93 million in the first half of 2023 [1].
The most popular city to get married in is Shanghai with a reported 150,000-220,000 weddings per year [2]. Meanwhile, Guangdong is the province with the highest number of weddings with between 500,000 and 1,000,000 marriages per year [3].
Data for the number of marriages across China may be slightly inaccurate due to both recording methods used in rural areas, as well as the privacy laws across China.
For the purpose of this article, we primarily focused on data provided by The National Bureau of Statistics (Yearbook) and The Ministry of Civil Affairs. Both of which are official representatives of the Chinese government. This data was often presented via English speaking publications such as The Global Times.
How Many Weddings Per Year in China?
Most Popular Chinese Cities For Marriage
As already mentioned, Shanghai is the most popular city for marriage in China. This is closely followed by the country’s capital, Beijing. In 2022, Beijing hosted 90,000 weddings [4] annually. This is thought to have increased to nearer 100,000-120,000 in 2023 [5].
Here is a breakdown of the most popular cities for marriage in China. Listed is the city and its estimated number of weddings per year. In addition, with the reliability of the data, we have also provided the source and year of the data. While the data is seen as reliable as possible, the accessibility to some of these data sources may be restricted.
| Rank | City | Weddings Per Year | Source | Date |
| 1 | Shanghai | 150,000-220,000 | Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau | 2023 |
| 2 | Beijing | 100,000-120,000 | Beijing Civil Affairs Bureau | 2023 |
| 3 | Guangzhou | ~100,000 | Guangzhou Statistical Yearbook | 2022 |
| 4 | Shenzhen | ~90,000 | Shenzhen Civil Affairs Bureau | 2022 |
| 5 | Chengdu | ~85,000 | Chengdu Civil Affairs Bureau | 2022 |
| 6 | Chongqing | ~80,000 | Chongqing Statistical Yearbook | 2022 |
| 7 | Tianjin | ~75,000 | Tianjin Civil Affairs Bureau | 2022 |
| 8 | Hangzhou | ~70,000 | Hangzhou Civil Affairs Bureau | 2023 |
| 9 | Xi’an | ~65,000 | Xi’an Civil Affairs Bureau | 2023 |
| 10 | Wuhan | ~60,000 | Wuhan Civil Affairs Bureau | 2023 |
* Estimated due to a combination of various sources.
Number of Weddings in China By Province
Guangdong is the most popular province for weddings in China. Between 500,000 and 1,000,000 weddings take place every year [3].
Shandong is the second most popular province to get married. With a population over 100 million [6], it played host to over 420,000 weddings in 2022 [7].
In terms of marriage rate, Guizhou ranks number one with 8.9 marriages per thousand people. Around 190,000 weddings take place in Guizhou annually although data only appears accessible up to 2022.
| Rank | Province | Weddings Per Year | Marriage Rate | Source | Date |
| 1 | Guangdong | 500,000-100,000 | 6 | Guangdong Provincial Statistics Bureau | 2023 |
| 2 | Shandong | ~450,000 | 6.5 | Shandong Provincial Statistics Bureau | 2023 |
| 3 | Henan | ~400,000 | 7.2 | Henan Provincial Civil Affairs Bureau | 2023 |
| 4 | Jiangsu | ~380,000 | 5.9 | Jiangsu Provincial Statistics Bureau | 2023 |
| 5 | Sichuan | ~350,000 | 7 | Sichuan Provincial Civil Affairs Bureau | 2022 |
| 6 | Hebei | ~340,000 | 6.7 | Hebei Provincial Statistics Bureau | 2023 |
| 7 | Zhejiang | ~330,000 | 5.8 | Zhejiang Provincial Statistics Bureau | 2023 |
| 8 | Hunan | ~320,000 | 7.1 | Hunan Provincial Civil Affairs Bureau | 2023 |
| 9 | Hubei | ~310,000 | 6.3 | Hubei Provincial Statistics Bureau | 2022 |
| 10 | Anhui | ~300,000 | 7.3 | Anhui Provincial Civil Affairs Bureau | 2022 |
| 11 | Guangxi | ~290,000 | 8 | Guangxi Provincial Statistics Bureau | 2022 |
| 12 | Liaoning | ~280,000 | 6.1 | Liaoning Provincial Civil Affairs Bureau | 2022 |
| 13 | Jiangxi | ~270,000 | 7.5 | Jiangxi Provincial Statistics Bureau | 2023 |
| 14 | Fujian | ~260,000 | 6 | Fujian Provincial Civil Affairs Bureau | 2023 |
| 15 | Yunnan | ~250,000 | 8.1 | Yunnan Provincial Statistics Bureau | 2022 |
| 16 | Heilongjiang | ~240,000 | 6.8 | Heilongjiang Provincial Civil Affairs Bureau | 2022 |
| 17 | Shaanxi | ~230,000 | 7 | Shaanxi Provincial Statistics Bureau | 2023 |
| 18 | Shanxi | ~220,000 | 7.4 | Shanxi Provincial Civil Affairs Bureau | 2022 |
| 19 | Chongqing | ~210,000 | 7.5 | Chongqing Statistical Yearbook | 2022 |
| 20 | Jilin | ~200,000 | 7.2 | Jilin Provincial Statistics Bureau | 2022 |
| 21 | Guizhou | ~190,000 | 8.3 | Guizhou Provincial Civil Affairs Bureau | 2022 |
| 22 | Inner Mongolia | ~180,000 | 6.7 | Inner Mongolia Statistical Yearbook | 2022 |
| 23 | Gansu | ~170,000 | 7.9 | Gansu Provincial Statistics Bureau | 2022 |
| 24 | Xinjiang | ~160,000 | 9 | Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Statistics Bureau | 2022 |
| 25 | Tianjin | ~150,000 | 5.4 | Tianjin Civil Affairs Bureau | 2022 |
| 26 | Hainan | ~140,000 | 9.1 | Hainan Provincial Statistics Bureau | 2022 |
| 27 | Ningxia | ~130,000 | 8.5 | Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Statistics Bureau | 2022 |
| 28 | Qinghai | ~120,000 | 8.9 | Qinghai Provincial Statistics Bureau | 2022 |
| 29 | Tibet | ~110,000 | 9.2 | Tibet Autonomous Region Statistics Bureau | 2022 |
* Estimated due to a combination of various sources.
Chinese Wedding Statistics
The marriage rate in China is highly volatile. While this is likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic it is also influenced by the lack of a central statistics system and the various governing policies across the years.
In 2023, the BBC reported that marriage rates had risen for the first time in 9 years [9]. It is currently estimated at 5.4 marriages per 1000 people [10]. However, as a whole, it is seen that the marriage rate in China is falling as societal norms and population adjustments impact the number of people getting married [11].
The Chinese wedding industry is valued at around $27 billion as of 2023 [12]. On average, Chinese couples spend between $7,000 and $27,000. However, in recent years that average has dropped to between $7,000 and $14,000 [13] as couples embrace a simpler approach to their wedding.
Popular Types Of Weddings In China
Nearly 100% of marriages in China are registered through civil ceremonies as it is legally required. However, while the data is hard to come by, only 5% of marriages in China are estimated to involve a religious ceremony.
Unlike a traditional western wedding that usually includes a legal, religious and celebration aspect, in China it’s more common for just the legal aspect with a celebration party [14].
Destination weddings are becoming more popular across China, just as they are worldwide. In 2022, it was estimated that the destination wedding market was worth $3 billion annually and expected to grow to $13 billion by 2033 [15].
Same-sex marriage is forbidden in China. However, since 2017, couples are able to enter into a guardianship agreement [16]. This offers partners some, but limited, legal guarantees.
How Many Divorces in China Per Year
China has the 8th highest divorce rate in the world with 3.2 per 1000 people [17]. The Maldives has the highest divorce rate in the world. It has a highly volatile divorce rate due to its small population and easy legal requirements [18].
In 2019, 4.7 million people got divorced in China. This has been increasing gradually every year. 10 years prior, 2.47 million people got divorced [19].
Data for 2020-2024 is currently impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, 2.88 million divorces were recorded [19].
Data Notes and More
In order to write this article, we extensively researched marriage rates in China. With nearly 15 years in the wedding industry, we felt it important to collate data and provide relevant information about how many weddings there are in China.
The data was primarily collected from government sources, specifically The Ministry of Civil Affairs and The Bureau of National Statistics. However, it’s important to note that the figures may not be complete due to the nature in which marriages, birth rates and divorces are recorded in rural areas. In addition, many of the sources, while using the government data, have been translated into English.
All sources are listed at the foot of this article and referenced throughout.
Conclusion
Marriage rates in China have fluctuated highly over the years due to various reasons. This could include the global pandemic of 2019, or the one-child policy set out by the Chinese government. To name just a couple. However, marriage in China remains a strong part of their culture, full of tradition.
China currently hosts over 7 million weddings annually, as well as a booming (if not a little volatile) wedding market worth north of $27 billion annually. Despite this, marriage rates are likely to fall in 2024.
While the number of marriages may be declining, as they are across the world, the tradition of sharing a promise with a loved one will continue for many years to come.
Sources
[1] Global Times (2024). “China’s Marriage Registration Falls In The First Half Of 2024”
[2] Sixth Tone (2023). “Uptick In Marriages After Years Of Decline Sparks Hope In China”
[3] Yicai Global (2023). “Ranks Of Chinese Getting Wed For First Time Sinks To New Low”
[4] People’s Daily Online (2023). “Over 90,000 People Get Married in Beijing”
[5] Beijing Civil Affairs Bureau (2024). “BEIJING CHINA – International Web Portal”
[6] Britannica (2024). “Shandong Summary”
[7] Shandong Gov (2023). “Shandong Statistical Yearbook 2023”
[8] Guizhou Gov (2023). “Guizhou Statistical Yearbook 2022”
[9] BBC (2023). “China: Marriages Rise For First Time In 9 Years”
[10] National Bureau of Statistics (2023). “National Bureau of Statistics China”
[11] Reuters (2024). “Number of Chinese couples getting married falls to 12-year low”
[12] IBIS World (2023). “Wedding Services in China”
[13] BJ Review (2024). “Young Couples Embrace Simple Weddings”
[14] Travel China Guide (2024). “Chinese Marriage Through A Foreigners Eyes”
[15] Future Market Insights (2023). “Destination Wedding Market China – Trend & Forecast”
[16] China Legal Experts (2024). “Guardianship In China”
[17] Divorce.com (2024). “Divorce Rates in the World [Updated 2024]”
[18] Wio News (2024). “Sun, Sand & Separation: Maldives Has The World’s Highest Divorce Rate”
[19] Statista (2022). “China: Number of Divorced 2022”
