Soaring numbers of Chinese women demand divorce

告别内耗婚姻

Economist

2026-04-16

6 分钟
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  • "It's OK" is a comedy-drama about a strongheaded schoolteacher (who does not want to have children)

  • and her mother (who becomes more progressive over the course of the film).

  • It topped China's box office in April, helped by its bold exploration of often-taboo topics

  • such as marital rape and women's use of sex toys.

  • But censors deemed that one subject was beyond the pale.

  • At one point there is a tell-tale mismatch between the mother's facial movements and her voice

  • when she tells her husband she wants to separate.

  • Viewers lip-read the missing words: "Sexually and emotionally, you've never made me feel good. I want a divorce."

  • With the population shrinking and birth rates plunging, the government is keen to keep people in wedlock.

  • In 2003 it abolished a requirement for employers to write a letter as part of divorce proceedings.

  • This caused divorces to surge, so in 2021 a 30-day cooling-off period was introduced

  • before a divorce can be made official.

  • The numbers dropped, but have since rebounded.

  • In 2025 divorces by mutual agreement reached their highest level in five years.

  • More than 2.7m were registered, up by 28% from 2021.

  • Data for court cases have yet to be released, but women are clearly leading the charge:

  • some 70% of plaintiffs are female.

  • The rise is remarkable given the obstacles.

  • To qualify, there must be a "breakdown of mutual affection".

  • If couples decide to contest this in court, such breakdown can be hard to prove.