The number of Chinese couples who got married in the first half of this year fell to its lowest level since 2013, official data showed, as more young people deferred nuptials amid a slowing economy and a rise in living costs.

The number of marriages in China is closely tied to the number of births, and the decline is likely to upset policymakers trying hard to boost the population which has been shrinking for years.

A total of to 3.43 million couples tied the knot in the first six months of the year, a drop of 498,000 from the same year-ago period, the data on marriage registrations showed.

Marriage is seen as a prerequisite for having children due to widespread incentives and policies, including a requirement for parents to present a marriage certificate to register their child and receive state benefits.

Many young Chinese are opting to stay single or delay getting married due to poor job prospects and worries about the future as growth in the world's second largest economy slows.

Marriage rates have been declining in China since 2014. While there was a slight pick up in 2023 due to pent-up demand after the easing of pandemic restrictions, the rate this year is expected to drop to its lowest since 1980, demographic expert He Yafu told state backed newspaper the Global Times.

Reasons for the decline in marriage registrations include a decrease in the number of young people, a higher number of males in the marriageable population versus females, the high cost of marriage, and changing attitudes, He said.

"The declining trend in China's birth rate in the long run will be difficult to fundamentally change unless substantial childbirth support policies are implemented in the future to address this challenge," He said.

China's Civil Affairs University announced a new undergraduate marriage program to develop marriage-related industries and culture, drawing scorn from social media users who questioned the need for such a course as marriage rates decline.