During the period from 1990 to 2000, the number of marriage decreased from 9.51 million to 8.48 mil-
lion, while the number of divorce rose from 0.8 million to 1.21 million.
We believe that three reasons can account for this phynomenon. First, young people of proper marria-
ge age are becoming fewer and fewer because of the family planning policy adopted since the late
1970s. Second, the current society is full of fierce competition, and many young people can't and
won't get married before they embark on a promising career. Third, today's people put more and more
emphasis upon independence and freedom--they won't get married before they find an ideal partner, a-
nd they will not hesitate to say goodbye when the spark of love dies down.
The great change, in my mind, signals the fundamental shift in people's view on family and marriage.
This trend will probably continue as contemporary people pay more and more attention to high-quality
marriage.