China is debating if it's finally time to let people marry at 18 as it grapples with a dwindling population

Tue, 03/05/2024 - 23:51

A newlywed couple poses with their marriage certificates at a civil affairs bureau on Valentine's Day on February 14, 2023 in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province of China.
VCG/VCG via Getty Images

A top advisor suggested that China lower its marriage age to 18, and people aren't happy with him.
Gan Huatian of the NCCPPC was blasted online for saying the move could boost birthrates.
It's a further sign that China's population woes can't be solved through family policy alone.

A top advisor in China proposed on Tuesday that the country lower its legal age of marriage to 18 to boost its lagging population, a suggestion met with intense backlash online.