Students seek a higher degree of love

Conventions lose ground

But some conventions, such as getting married in order to perpetuate the family line, have become less popular.

The report showed that nearly 90 percent of those surveyed thought that they would get married for accompany and emotional stability, with less than 30 percent saying they sought financial security from marriage.

In terms of childbearing, most respondents agreed strongly with the perception that raising a child is important and meaningful, and that a baby can be a source of happiness. Fewer cared about their child's role in taking care of them later in life.

"The saying 'Raise children to support yourself in your old age' sounds absurd to me," said An Xinxin, a sophomore studying finance at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing.

"If I need some assurance about how I'll be looked after when I'm old, it would be better to buy more insurance."

Li said: "They (college students) engage in romantic relationships to find a partner to grow old and work toward important goals with. They want to get married to have someone to talk to and as an emotional buttress at home. They want to have a baby as a supplement to their growth and to help nurture their marital relationship.

"The functional value of marriage and childbearing is gradually being replaced by its emotional value, and self-worth is given great significance these days."

Another major finding was that the costs of housing and raising children are among the biggest concerns for Generation Z.

"There is also a gender distinction," Li said, adding that while men were the most worried about buying a new home and betrothal gifts, women voiced deeper misgivings about encountering hurdles in their career advancement.

Yuan Xin, deputy president of the China Population Association and a professor at Nankai University in Tianjin, said that in recent years, the participation of women in the workforce has become the norm in China, but women still shoulder the bulk of responsibility in the private domain, such as household chores and taking care of the children.

"No doubt they are under a lot of pressure," he said.