Half of young Chinese date before age of 18

The couple stands in front of a train of black horses in Southwest China's Chongqing municipality on their wedding day of March 7. [Photo/IC]

Young Chinese begin dating and have their first sexual experience earlier than older generations but marry later, the Beijing News reported.

The 2015 Chinese Marital and Love Conditions Report is based on a survey conducted by the Institute of Social Science Survey at Peking University and baihe.com, a leading Chinese dating website.

The survey collected data for two months from nearly 80,000 responders of different ages and education levels across the country including the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions gathering their experiences of and attitude towards love and marriage.

Those from single parent families date earliest

The survey revealed that more than half (51.09 percent) of young people go on a first date before the age of 18, among whom those from single parent families date earliest at an average age of 15.23 years.

The younger the generation, the earlier the first date. Post 1995s date earliest at an average age of 12.67 while those born in the 1970s or before date latest.

Post 1995s have first sex under 18

Young people now tend to have their first sexual experience at an earlier age. Post 1995s have their first sex at an average age of 17.71, while those born in the 1980s or before do it at an older average age of 22.17.

From a regional perspective, people in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan have their first sex at an average age of 22.17. Beijing leads the Chinese mainland with 20.63 years.

Today's young people marry late

Most young people marry between 22 and 28. 63.29 percent of men marry at 25 or older, while 83.07 percent of women wed at 23 or older.

Those who live together before marriage do so between 20 and 24 but premarital cohabitants are still in the minority, accounting for only 38 percent of all respondents.

Wives under more stress, feel less happy

Wives feel less happy than their counterparts in a marriage, as they are under the pressure of going to work, making dinner, doing housework and taking care of children and seniors.

Mothers are more likely to feel pressure and unhappiness. The survey revealed that in the first three years of looking after a baby 29.04 percent of mothers shoulder the main responsibility, while only 2.1 percent fathers do so.

The study also showed that both wives and husbands hold the lowest degree of satisfaction and happiness toward their marriage during the third to fifth years.