HONG KONG, March 18 Reuters The number of new marriages in China jumped 12.4 in 2023 from a year earlier, reversing a downtrend that has lasted for almost a decade as more youth tied the knot after delaying their nuptials due to the COVID19 pandemic.

The number of newlyweds rose to 7.68 million last year, according to data released by the Ministry of Civil Affairs last week. This was up 845,000 couples from 2022 but still far below the peak of 13.47 million couples hit in 2013.

The data comes after China39;s Premier Li Qiang pledged in March that the government would work towards a birthfriendly society and promote long term, balanced population development, as well as reducing the cost of childbirth, parenting and education.

Policymakers are grappling with how to reverse a declining population, where the birthrate is falling and society ageing rapidly. Roughly 300 million Chinese are expected to enter retirement in the coming decade the equivalent of almost the entire U.S. population.

China39;s population fell for a second consecutive year in 2023, as the record low birth rate and deaths due to COVID19 accelerated a downturn that officials fear will have profound longterm effects on the economy39;s growth potential.

Marriage rates are closely tied to birth rates, giving some cheer to policymakers, as an uptick in marriages could yield more babies and soften the population decline in 2024.

More babies are being born in hospitals across China in the Year of the…