While the rest of the nation frets over the rising proportion of boys to girls, in Shanghai it is successful single women who are finding it increasingly hard to find a spouse.

According to the latest survey, the number of single women with degrees and downtown jobs is on the rise.

The population sampling survey, conducted by Shanghai Municipal Statistics Bureau, reveals a rapid rise in the size of the unmarried population, especially women.

The survey interviewed 1 percent of the city's 17 million people, finding a 1.6 percent growth in the unmarried population of those older than 15 with the growth of unmarried women 0.9 percent higher than that of men.

Although the overall number of single men is still higher than that of unmarried women, in some areas single women now outnumber their male counterparts.

The growth in the total number of single people is attributed to the spread of college education, which often delays marriage plans.

Many women may also postpone hunting for spouses while they develop their careers.

According to the survey, the growth of unmarried women with three years at college, four years at university and a postgraduate degree are 7.6 percent, 6.3 percent and 0.4 percent respectively.

By comparison, figures for men with the same qualifications are 5.8, 3.5 and 0.3 percent 4.6 and 2.5 percent slower than women in the first two categories.

The study also found the likelihood of a woman being single increased with her home's proximity to the downtown area.

The city's unmarried now constitute 21.4 percent of the total population over the age of 15, with the percentage growing to 24.3 in the downtown area.

The figure falls to 20.9 in nearby suburban districts like Minhang and 11.9 in far-out Chongming County.

More divorces

The proportions of single people by district tally with the number of divorces, with Chongming having the lowest rate of failed marriages only 0.9 percent, while 5.3 percent of marriages in the downtown area break up.

According to a release from the statistics bureau, the large unmarried population in the downtown area may cast a shadow of uncertainty over marriage.

The bureau called for more public attention for single people, especially those above the age of 25.

Problems with relationships or marriage not only affect citizens' work, study or life, but also bring uncertainty to society as a whole, the bureau warned.

But Xu Anqi, a senior researcher with the Marriage and Family Institute of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, denied there was a danger to society.

Education and careers

"The expanding unmarried population is the result of more time being spent on education and pursuing careers, which won't cause any uncertainty," said Xu.

"More and more women are going to college and hope to develop their career after graduation. This encourages women delay marriage, and to some extent make it difficult for them to find a husband."

According to Xu, Shanghai, despite being one of the hubs of Chinese development, has held on to traditional ideas about marriage that the husband should be better educated, have a better job, make more money and be older than his wife.

"Many people blame unmarried women for being too picky," said Xu.

"But the whole of society is developing higher expectations.

"Meanwhile men with high-paying jobs often don't care about women's education or jobs, they are only interested in young, good-looking women."

Xu also blames employers for forcing women to delay marriage.

"There still some companies that won't employ pregnant women, or make female employees promise they will not marry in several years," Xu said.

"Many women are forced to sacrifice marriage for better work opportunities."

(China Daily February 14, 2007)