The Impact of Divorce Cooling-Off Period on Registered Divorces: Evidence from China

The divorce rate in China has continued to rise since the 21st century. In order to reduce impulsive divorces, the divorce cooling-off period (DCOP) system was established in the Civil Code of China. The aim of this research is to examine the impact of the DCOP on registered divorces. Data from the...

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Main Authors: Wenge Zheng, Bowen Niu, Zhenguo Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Social Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/13/11/612
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author Wenge Zheng
Bowen Niu
Zhenguo Chen
author_facet Wenge Zheng
Bowen Niu
Zhenguo Chen
author_sort Wenge Zheng
collection DOAJ
description The divorce rate in China has continued to rise since the 21st century. In order to reduce impulsive divorces, the divorce cooling-off period (DCOP) system was established in the Civil Code of China. The aim of this research is to examine the impact of the DCOP on registered divorces. Data from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, National Bureau of Statistics, civil affairs departments, and statistical bureaus of 31 provinces, the 2018 to 2023 editions of the <i>China Statistical Yearbook</i>, and the <i>China Civil Affairs Statistical Yearbook</i> were utilized in this work. The event study analysis reveals that the number of registered divorces decreased significantly in China after the DCOP provision’s enforcement. The ordinary least squares model indicates an average annual decrease of about 2.6 million registered divorces when the DCOP provision takes effect, and the DCOP plays a decisive role in this decrease, which suggests that the DCOP system has achieved its original intention. This research not only highlights the important role of the DCOP in reducing registered divorces but also provides insights on how to improve the DCOP system and promote the stability of marriage.
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spelling doaj-art-542db191ee0944148fe1a068d416136f2024-11-26T18:22:20ZengMDPI AGSocial Sciences2076-07602024-11-01131161210.3390/socsci13110612The Impact of Divorce Cooling-Off Period on Registered Divorces: Evidence from ChinaWenge Zheng0Bowen Niu1Zhenguo Chen2School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 211106, ChinaInstitute of Law, Jiangsu Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, Nanjing 210004, ChinaCollege of Civil Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 611730, ChinaThe divorce rate in China has continued to rise since the 21st century. In order to reduce impulsive divorces, the divorce cooling-off period (DCOP) system was established in the Civil Code of China. The aim of this research is to examine the impact of the DCOP on registered divorces. Data from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, National Bureau of Statistics, civil affairs departments, and statistical bureaus of 31 provinces, the 2018 to 2023 editions of the <i>China Statistical Yearbook</i>, and the <i>China Civil Affairs Statistical Yearbook</i> were utilized in this work. The event study analysis reveals that the number of registered divorces decreased significantly in China after the DCOP provision’s enforcement. The ordinary least squares model indicates an average annual decrease of about 2.6 million registered divorces when the DCOP provision takes effect, and the DCOP plays a decisive role in this decrease, which suggests that the DCOP system has achieved its original intention. This research not only highlights the important role of the DCOP in reducing registered divorces but also provides insights on how to improve the DCOP system and promote the stability of marriage.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/13/11/612divorce cooling-off periodstability of marriagesystem effect
spellingShingle Wenge Zheng
Bowen Niu
Zhenguo Chen
The Impact of Divorce Cooling-Off Period on Registered Divorces: Evidence from China
Social Sciences
divorce cooling-off period
stability of marriage
system effect
title The Impact of Divorce Cooling-Off Period on Registered Divorces: Evidence from China
title_full The Impact of Divorce Cooling-Off Period on Registered Divorces: Evidence from China
title_fullStr The Impact of Divorce Cooling-Off Period on Registered Divorces: Evidence from China
title_full_unstemmed The Impact of Divorce Cooling-Off Period on Registered Divorces: Evidence from China
title_short The Impact of Divorce Cooling-Off Period on Registered Divorces: Evidence from China
title_sort impact of divorce cooling off period on registered divorces evidence from china
topic divorce cooling-off period
stability of marriage
system effect
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/13/11/612
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