China and India are facing a crisis due to a gender imbalance, with 35 million more men than women in each country. This will lead to millions of men being unable to marry or have serious relationships, causing financial hardship and depression. The majority of these men are under 20 and will face a changed workforce and loneliness. Getting married may not be financially beneficial, with single people having less credit card debt. The average age of marriage in the US is 28, with the cost of a wedding exceeding $26,000 and raising a child exceeding $245,000.
If your chances of finding a date were 1 in 70 million, you might decide to stay home for the night. But that figure isn’t speculation for young people in China and India, in part because of policies that for decades have pushed families to strongly prefer raising sons over daughters.
These two nations, the most populous on Earth, are facing an unprecedented crisis that will prevent millions of men from getting married or even having serious relationships with women. The fact that there are some 35 million more men than women in each of these countries has already led to serious consequences, from widespread depression to financial hardship.
As of 2020, the majority – 50 million – of men are under the age of 20 and in the coming years they will enter a much changed workforce and will have to contend with being alone, without families of their own. “In the future, there will be millions of men who cannot get married, and this could pose a very big risk to society,” said Li Shuzhuo, a demographer at Xi’an Jiaotong University in China.
Is getting married better?
One study found that only 21% of single people have credit card debt, compared to 27% of married couples and 36% of couples with children.
On average, the age at which people get married in the United States today is 28; in 1950 the median age was 22.
In America, the average cost of a wedding exceeds $26,000 USD, while the average cost of raising a child exceeds $245,000.
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