Smaller families becoming the new normal

A more recent survey conducted by Zhuang and her colleagues showed that among about 60,000 women polled across China, about 4 percent said they were open to the DINK lifestyle.

Reared in an impoverished county in Hubei province, Wang Qingli said she used to even be pessimistic about marriage as most couples in her hometown had formed unions of "interest"－rather than love－to fend off risks.

"Women of my mother and grandmother's generations won't divorce even if they are unhappy," she said," as they are less educated and therefore more financially dependent".

In 2017, more than 52 percent of students enrolled in undergraduate programs and vocational colleges were female, central government data showed. That is about 28 percentage points higher than in 1978. In 2017, more than 48 percent of graduate students were female, almost 30 percentage points higher than in 1985.

Meanwhile, the divorce rate has risen from about 1.85 divorces in every 1,000 people in 2009 to 3.36 in 2019.

Lila, a videoblogger in Shanghai who in January posted a videoclip about the older generations' disapproval about the DINK lifestyle on the microblogging service Sina Weibo, which has got more than 610,000 views and hundreds of comments, said she respects young couples who wish to have children.

However, workplace gender discrimination, body-shaming, and the prolonged pregnancy process have made her hesitant.

"Pregnancy has a much bigger impact on women than men," said Lila, who has more than 1.3 million followers on Weibo and asked to be identified by her alias.

The DINK lifestyle's rising appeal has signified a fundamental shift in young people's attitudes toward offspring－traditionally the caregiver when parents get old－with better social security programs and more commercial insurance options.

Lila said she had thought about crowdfunding a villa in the countryside when old and seeking company from like-minded DINK couples.

"Even if I have a child, I hope him or her lives a more splendid life, instead of toiling as a caregiver," she said.

Yang Xiao, an internet worker in Shenzhen and an advocate for the lifestyle, said he does not expect that having children can make old age more secure. "Though children are obligated to care for their parents, there are no rules over how far they go," said the 24-year-old.

Yang added there's also the prospect that children die before parents, or be financially strapped and scramble to offer even survival-level support.

Zhang Jing, the family development expert, said the DINK couple is just one of many family patterns that have emerged over the recent decades with smaller sizes.

Sun Fengyi and Xu Xiaowen contributed to this story.