One-Third of Chinese Millennials and Gen Z Indifferent to Marriage, Study Finds

A telling report from dating site Zhenai and the data-driven 36r is making the rounds, exposing the younger generation’s increasingly detached love lives.

Drawing on data from Gen Z and millennial subjects 30 years old, which, according to the idiom “而立之年,” is the age when most young people stand up, it provides a detailed analysis of the dating scene, Chinese singles’ romantic and professional preferences, and even their preferred breakup methods.

According to the report, 70% of 90s babies are actively searching for love. Among them, 26.42% expressed an intense desire to get married, but 30.05% were indifferent to marriage. In fact, the study found that almost 40% of singles did not want to have a wedding, women more so than men.

But love is undoubtedly still on the mind: the survey showed that being single was also the number one worry (63.88%), followed by being poor (44.84%) and having no friends (29.09%) — ouch.

To no one’s surprise, WeChat played a role: when breaking up, 40.82% of people used WeChat to deliver the news, while 46.83% chose to do the deed in person.

China’s 100 million singles remain in the spotlight: from viral campaigns highlighting “leftover women,” to marriage markets, to the phenomenon of Single’s Day. The report comes on the heels of Alibaba’s biggest Single’s Day ever; this age group is one of China’s biggest consumer bases, preferring to spend their increasing disposable incomes on consumer goods, pets, and social events.

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The report concluded that Chinese 90s babies, more than any other generation, wanted to pursue “high-quality love and authentic lives.” They enjoy more free time and care more about having a comfortable lifestyle than their predecessors. It also stated that as women become more self-reliant and career-driven, men still hold on to traditional dating values like marriage and family.

Cover Photo by Kirill Sharkovski