Chinese couples favour marriage at 26 years of age: survey

Chinese prefer getting married at the average age of 26, according to a new survey which suggests that traditional values still matter when it comes to finding a mate, though trends relating to marriage in the world's most populous country have changed.
About 75 per cent of men got married between 25 and 34 years of age while more than 90 per cent of women found their husbands before turning 30 years old. The report shows the current average age at which Chinese people get married remains at 26.
Close to 55 per cent 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, state-run China Daily reported today.

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," it said.
The report shows most couples still follow the tradition that wives do most of the housework while husbands think more about the family's financial status.

The rate of pre-marriage cohabitation among couples born after 1980 exceeds 57 per cent, 10 per cent higher than in earlier generations.

Contrary to expectations, only around 15 per cent of those surveyed considered wealth a key criteria for selecting a spouse while more than 90 per cent said that they put more emphasis on a sense of responsibility and emotional intelligence when looking for a potential partner.
Sociologist Li Song said there is something that can be found in every happy family.
"Couples with a strong sense of happiness usually spend much more time together raising and educating their children. They share equal responsibility when dealing with family matters and taking care of their parents, " Li said.
The survey results also show that just over 45 per cent of respondents married partners from their own area, a figure that has decreased during China's urbanisation process.

As expected, loyalty is still seen as the most important factor for maintaining a healthy marriage. Over 80 per cent of those surveyed said they had never considered divorce.
Love and marriage expert Chen Xu suggests, besides mutual trust, responsibility is also vital for a stable marriage.
The report was published by the China Association of Marriage and Family Studies. Over 10,000 responses were collected, spanning 10 major Chinese cities, including Beijing and Guangzhou.
China is world's most populous country with 1.3 billion population.