Growing trend of cross-border marriages leaves more HK women on the shelf
Daniel Sin 5 November 2008
The number of cross-border marriages fell last year, but more Hong Kong women are staying single.
Government statistics show a drop of 24.3 per cent in marriages between Hong Kong and mainland partners to 26,203. But a government statistician said the trend for such marriages was rising and could explain a growing excess of unmarried women in their 20s.
“It is now becoming more difficult for a Hong Kong female to find a male partner three years older than her,” said Tsang Tat-shing, of the Census and Statistics Department, referring to the common age relationship for first marriages.
Comparing the number of never-married men and women three years younger, the statistics show that in 1996, there was an excess of 9,400 woman in the 25 to 29 age range. But a decade later there was a shortfall of 12,900.
“This may be explained by the growing trend of cross-border marriages over the years,” Mr Tsang said.
He pointed out that of the 37,045 marriages registered in Hong Kong in 1996, both parties were Hong Kong residents in 84 per cent of cases.
“But the proportion dropped to 53 per cent in 2007.” There were 26,385 cross-border marriages in 1996. The number peaked at 34,628 in 2006, but dropped to 26,203 last year.
Chan Yee-fei of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Integrated Family Service believed the drop was a normal periodic movement. “With increasing integration between Hong Kong and the mainland, cross-border marriages will certainly continue,” he said.
The number of Hong Kong women in cross-border marriages increased from 6.9 per cent of the total to 16.5 per cent between 1996 and 2007.
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Growing trend of cross-border marriages leaves more HK women on the shelf
Daniel Sin
5 November 2008
The number of cross-border marriages fell last year, but more Hong Kong women are staying single.
Government statistics show a drop of 24.3 per cent in marriages between Hong Kong and mainland partners to 26,203. But a government statistician said the trend for such marriages was rising and could explain a growing excess of unmarried women in their 20s.
“It is now becoming more difficult for a Hong Kong female to find a male partner three years older than her,” said Tsang Tat-shing, of the Census and Statistics Department, referring to the common age relationship for first marriages.
Comparing the number of never-married men and women three years younger, the statistics show that in 1996, there was an excess of 9,400 woman in the 25 to 29 age range. But a decade later there was a shortfall of 12,900.
“This may be explained by the growing trend of cross-border marriages over the years,” Mr Tsang said.
He pointed out that of the 37,045 marriages registered in Hong Kong in 1996, both parties were Hong Kong residents in 84 per cent of cases.
“But the proportion dropped to 53 per cent in 2007.” There were 26,385 cross-border marriages in 1996. The number peaked at 34,628 in 2006, but dropped to 26,203 last year.
Chan Yee-fei of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Integrated Family Service believed the drop was a normal periodic movement. “With increasing integration between Hong Kong and the mainland, cross-border marriages will certainly continue,” he said.
The number of Hong Kong women in cross-border marriages increased from 6.9 per cent of the total to 16.5 per cent between 1996 and 2007.
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