China's population, the second-largest in the world, is aging rapidly, with roughly 300 million citizens - equivalent to the entire US population expected to enter retirement in the coming decade.

The number of new marriages recorded in China fell to a record low last year, despite sweeping government efforts to encourage young people to tie the knot and have babies to halt demographic decline in the world’s second-largest economy.

By Farah Master HONG KONG (Reuters) -Marriages in China plummetted by a fifth last year, the biggest drop on record, despite manifold efforts by authorities to encourage young couples to wed and have children to boost the country's declining population.