Why Chinese singles spend big bucks on dating apps?

[Photo: from VCG]

According to 2017 statistics from Southwest Securities, a national security company that studies the single economy in China, there are nearly 200 million single adults in China, and the competition in the marriage market is increasingly fierce. 

Statistics from the same company valued the dating industry in China at 2.7 billion yuan in 2015, and projected further growth as more post-80s and 90s Chinese singles hit the market.

Various dating products, including websites, apps, online-to-offline services and specialized clubs, have mushroomed, enticing singles to pay for a better chance at love.

According to a report by globaltimes.com, offline dating services start at 10,000 yuan, and the price increases according to the user's physique, social and educational background and the person's requirement for a future partner. Membership fees can reach nearly 200,000 yuan a year.

With a limited social circle, many young people this is the most direct and efficient way to get a date. With a so-called fourth singles' wave already hitting China, single women and men are shelling out the big bucks to find dates and, hopefully, mates.

But lots of users complain about the cost is too high but with small returns. 

[The audio clip is from Studio+, produced by CRI]