Almost half (44%) of young urban Chinese women don't plan on ever getting married, compared to 25% of men who say the same. Some of the reasons why they're reluctant to do so include not having the time, money, or energy. And whilst a third say they've never been in love or don’t believe in marriage, 60.8% say it's difficult to find the right person. These progressive modern attitudes show a shift away from traditional expectations whilst threatening the growing demographic crisis in China. “In recent years, more and more young people are wandering outside the marriage hall,” reads a report by the Youth League Committee. “It has become a potential risk for the whole of society.”

China is grappling with a demographic crisis as its population growth has been the slowest since the 1950s. And even as the Chinese government tries to rectify the situation with the implementation of a three-child policy, this will have little impact as young women focus on putting themselves first – which can also be seen amongst Japanese women. Indeed, according to China's National Bureau of Statistics, the number of people entering a first marriage has dropped by 41%, from 23.8 million in 2013 to 13.9 million in 2019. Brands would do well to empower female independence in a challenging landscape – SK-II, for example, helps keep the peace between generations and their conflicting values.