"Officials and state media are searching for good signs that point to a demographic revival," said Wang Feng, a demography expert and distinguished professor at the University of California, Irvine. "But we shouldn't get false hope from this statistic … The overwhelming evidence shows a long-term decline in marriage and childbearing." Persistent pessimism about the economy, falling prices and job insecurity were feeding into this decline, Wang said. “Couples are not going to get married just because it’s easier to register,” he said.

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