BACKGROUND

China has experienced substantial socioeconomic and institutional changes over thepast few decades. The literature has documented a variety of demographic changesduring this time, including the delay and decline of marriage and the recent prevalenceof cohabitation. However, we have little knowledge about how the Chinese enter intomarriage.

OBJECTIVE

This study demonstrates the diversification of first marriage entry over time.METHODSWe applied event-history analysis to longitudinal data from the China Family PanelStudies (2010–2012 waves) and estimated the competing risks of the identifiedmarriage entry types. The observation covered the period from 1960 to 2012.

RESULTS

Our estimations from the competing models demonstrated four notable types of firstmarriage entry, including a general decline in the traditional ‘direct marriage,’ a riseand decline in ‘conception marriage,’ and two recently increasing innovative practicesof ‘cohabitation marriage’ and ‘cohabitation and conception marriage.’ The 1980smarked a turning point when traditional family practices began to decay and innovativefamily practices began to emerge and spread.

CONCLUSIONS

The diversification of marriage entry in China since the 1980s occurred in tandem withthe development of China’s economic reform and ‘opening-up’ policies. Thissimultaneity exemplifies the notion that socioeconomic changes at the macro levelinteract with family behavior changes at the individual level.

CONTRIBUTION

This study demonstrates an increasingly wide array of marriage entry types over time,reflecting the evolution of marriage behaviors from tradition to modernity incontemporary Chinese society.