Abstract: Using the census and sampling survey data between 1990 and 2020, this study examines the postponement of marriage and childbearing in China. The results show a persistent increase in the mean age at first marriage in urban and rural China. However, the postponement of the first marriage started earlier in urban areas than rural areas during 2000-2010. The postponement of first marriage in rural areas accelerated during 2010-2020. This led to a widening and then narrowing trend of the urban-rural gap. Age at first marriage differs across educational attainment; women and men with higher education significantly postpone their first marriage. Men with higher education also show a lower likelihood of staying unmarried for life. The curve of age-specific fertility rate for women at childbearing age has shifted downwards to the right, and the peak childbearing age of urban women has shifted more than that of rural women. The mean age at childbearing has been increasing, with a more rapid speed in 2000-2010 and then a slower one in 2010-2020. The mean age at childbearing of each parity has been postponed, especially for the first and second births. Women with different educational levels all postpone childbearing, and those with higher education levels show larger postponement.

Keywords: Postponement in First Marriage, Postponement in Childbearing, Mean Age at Childbearing, Parity, Educational Level

摘要： 基于1990~2020年历次全国人口普查和人口抽样调查数据，对中国不同人群婚育推迟的变化趋势与典型特征进行分析。研究发现，中国平均初婚年龄不断提高，初婚推迟在城乡普遍发生但并不同步，2000~2010年城市初婚推迟快于农村，2010~2020年农村初婚推迟加快，导致城乡差距先拉大后缩小；受教育程度提高显著推迟人们的初婚时间，其中，高等教育的影响存在性别差异，其在推迟男女两性初婚时间的同时，降低了男性终身不婚的可能性；中国育龄妇女生育率曲线的峰值向右向下移动，城市育龄妇女生育峰值年龄推迟更快；育龄妇女平均生育年龄不断提高，2000~2010年生育推迟速度快于2010~2020年；各孩次平均生育年龄均不断推迟，其中，一孩和二孩生育推迟更明显；不同受教育程度的育龄妇女均表现出生育推迟趋势，且受教育程度越高，生育推迟越明显。

关键词: 初婚推迟, 生育推迟, 平均生育年龄, 孩次, 受教育程度