Romance my not be dead, but marriage has taken a battering over the past decade with couples scared of as much by financial, as emotional, commitment. And the trend, combined with a fall in the number of people of marring age, could worsen the SAR's problem of an ageing population.


　　　According to the Immigration Department, 17,903 couples tried the knot in the first eight months of this year, almost 40 per cent fewer that the 28,929 who did in the same period in 1990.


　　　There were 47,168 marriages in 1990, marking the highest annual number of marriages in the decade. The sharpest fall was recorded in 1998 when there were 31,673 marriages, 16 per cent lower than 37,593 in 1997. A total of 31,287 couples married last year.


　　　Fung shui expert Au Chung-tak said 1990 was a good year of marriage, explaining the high numbers that year. But, fewer people has sought help on the choice of marriage dates in recent years.


　　　"The emigration trend in the pre-handover period and the financial crisis affected the number of people who wanted to get married," Mr Au said.


　　　"Many people want to buy a flat before they get married. Fewer people could to this after the finanacial crisis."