The poll, which was released on Thursday, Nov. 19, surveyed couples from 10 cities including Guangzhou, Chongqing and Shanghai. (Photo : Reuters)

Instead of marrying right away, young Chinese couples are taking their time getting to know each other through cohabitation, according to a recent co-op survey conducted by the China Association of Marriage and Family and matchmaking website Zhenai.com.



The poll, which was released on Thursday, Nov. 19, surveyed couples from 10 cities including Guangzhou, Chongqing and Shanghai.




10,157 couples responded that they are happily married in 2015. Of the total number, 13.7 percent were born in the 1960s and moved in with their partners before marriage.



Meanwhile, 44.4 percent of those born in the 1970s cohabited with their partners before marrying. The number continued to increase, with 59.6 percent of those born in the 1980s cohabiting prior to marriage.



Finally, respondents who belonged to the post-1985 generation (57.8 percent) cohabited with their partners before deciding to marry.



"Premarital cohabitation has become more commonly accepted among the younger generation, which is a trend with the society's development," said Tong Xin, a sociology professor from Peking University, in an interview with China Daily.



"Regarding women's rights, premarital cohabitation is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it is a necessary way to understand the live-in partner before marriage. On the other hand, in a male-dominated society, it may hurt women if the relationship breaks down," Tong added.



The sociology professor went on to add that premarital cohabitation wouldn't even be a problem if women and men were treated equally.



Zhenai.com's chief executive officer, Li Song, also noticed the trend of cohabitation before marriage among the younger generation.



"It echoes the rise of women's power in China, showing women's independence," said Li, who added that government departments should heed more attention of women's and children's rights following this trend.



"For example, policies should take the rights of illegitimate children into consideration," Li stated.



According to Tan Lin, president of the China Association of Marriage and Family, the survey aims to provide insight and guidelines to help people improve their relationships.

