Does income inequality restrain marriage? A longitudinal study from the 35 large and medium-sized cities of China.

In recent years, the continuous decline of marriage rate in Chinese cities has attracted significant attention. The study examined the impact of income inequality on marriage rates, and explored the mechanisms through which this relationship operates. Panel data of 35 large and medium-sized cities of mainland China from 2004 to 2019 were used to empirically test the theoretical hypothesis, finding the following results: Firstly, widening income inequality emerges as a crucial factor contributing to the decline in marriage rates within Chinese cities. Secondly, the impact of the income inequality on the marriage rate shows significant spatial and temporal differences in urban areas. Lastly, factors such as Internet penetration, urbanization and housing price are important channels for income inequality to affect the marriage rate. The objective of this study is to explain the decline of marriage rate in China's cities from the perspective of income distribution, and subsequently unveil the macro-level correlation between income inequality and marital behavior. • Widening income inequality emerges as a crucial factor contributing to the decline in marriage rates within Chinese cities. • The impact of the income inequality on the marriage rate shows significant spatial and temporal differences in urban areas. • Internet penetration, urbanization and housing price are the channels for income inequality to affect the marriage rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]