Henan ranks first in forced marriage rate

The China Youth Concern Committee for the Advancement of Health and Physical Culture Development previously released a survey report on the current condition of forced marriage in China, directed at people under 40.

The report shows that over 70 percent of interviewees have once been pressured to enter into a marriage by their parents, singles aged 25 to 35 bearing the largest burden.

The overall data shows that the forced marriage rate reached 86 percent, meaning that only 14 percent of young singles haven't encountered the problem. The data showed that females experienced the pressure more than males by six percentage points.

In all the provinces, Henan has the severest phenomenon of forced marriage. Single people in Guangdong province are most likely to act like falling in a love relationship. Shanghai parents are recognized as those that nag the most, with Guangxi parents often forcing their children to go on blind dates. Sichuan parents are skilled in motivating all relatives and friends to persuade their single children.

As the Spring Festival approaches, singles will continue to face these pressures as a new round of persuasion is likely to occur at reunions with their family members and distant relatives. A singleton said, "Life is hard as puppy love is forbidden during school life yet marriage becomes necessity after graduation." Others said that travelling during the Spring Festival holiday will be their only way out if they are still single next year.

Edited by Owen Fishwick