Chinese couples favour marriage at 26

Beijing: A new survey in China is suggesting that while trends surrounding marriage in the country have changed, traditional values were still instilled when it came to people finding a mate.

The survey showed the current average age at which Chinese people get married remained at 26, the China Daily reported.

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

Close to 55 percent of those surveyed got to know their spouses 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.

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

Contrary to expectations, only around 15 percent of those surveyed considered wealth a key criteria for selecting a spouse, 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.

IANS