Shanghai residents getting married later in life

The average age at which Shanghai residents tie the knot has been increasing since 2010, with the average for men and women rising to 30.65 and 28.81 respectively in 2018, according to the report released by the Chinese Communist Youth League Shanghai Committee on August 7.

The report, which is based on responses from 4,902 questionnaires, noted that the average age at which men and women had gotten married in 2010 was 28.83 and 26.51 respectively.

About 50 percent of the 4,902 single respondents said that they did not want to get married for the time being while 9.21 percent indicated that they did not want to get married at all, the report added.

Despite the growing indifference toward marriage, young Shanghainese are more eager than before to be in a relationship. About 66.63 percent of respondents said that they wish to be in a relationship while 62.33 percent said they felt this way because their parents want them to get married.

The report also said that the top three traits that respondents looked for in their partners were appearance, character and similarity in beliefs. In addition, about 21.76 percent of young people prioritize personality and temperament as opposed to the traditional factors such as income, age and education background. Most respondents also said that they would rather find a life partner themselves than through the help of their friends or parents.